ATLANTA — Grant Holmes stated he believed he was on the verge of a recreation to recollect when the Atlanta right-hander reached 10 strikeouts for the primary time in his profession — and it was solely the fifth inning.
“It was a particular second,” Holmes stated.
It was troublesome for the Braves to elucidate how Holmes’ milestone recreation, which began with 5 hitless innings and ended with a career-best 15 strikeouts, was wasted in Sunday’s 10-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Holmes (3-6) didn’t surrender a success or a stroll by 5 innings however trailed 1-0 due to his fielding and throwing errors on Ryan Ritter’s grounder within the third. After the Braves tied the rating at 1-1 within the sixth, Holmes gave up Ryan McMahon’s go-ahead homer within the seventh. The appropriate-hander gave up three runs, two earned, in 6⅓ innings.
“It sucks to waste that begin from him,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson stated.
Holmes’ 15 strikeouts got here one recreation after Spencer Strider’s 13 strikeouts in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Rockies.
“I did not see that coming,” stated Braves supervisor Brian Snitker, including that Holmes’ robust begin was not the one shock.
“I felt good about placing runs on the board, too,” Snitker stated, referring to the workforce’s robust hitting in scoring a mixed 16 runs whereas successful the primary two video games of the collection.
“We’re beginning to click on right here and get this factor rolling,” Snitker stated. “We simply cannot get off the mat and get something rolling for any prolonged time and we’ve not all 12 months.”
Relievers Enyel De Los Santos and Jose Ruiz mixed to surrender seven runs after Holmes’ exit.
Even so, Holmes’ begin offers the Braves confidence of their rotation that additionally consists of Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Chris Sale and Bryce Elder.
“These guys are actually good,” Holmes stated. “… I really feel like going ahead if we keep like we’re we’ll be in a fairly good place.”
The Braves have gained back-to-back collection towards Milwaukee and Colorado, however they could not full the sweep of the Rockies they hoped would supply momentum earlier than a go to from the NL East-leading New York Mets. The three-game collection begins Tuesday evening.
The Braves tweaked their rotation, transferring Sale from his scheduled begin Sunday so he might comply with Schwellenbach towards the Mets, with Strider deliberate for the third recreation.
The Mets can be trying to rebound after being swept at dwelling by Tampa Bay. They’re nonetheless 13 video games forward of third-place Atlanta within the division.
“We have got to show the web page and prepare to play Tuesday,” stated Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza following Sunday’s 9-0 loss to the Rays.
“We all know whenever you take a look at this workforce on paper, that is a extremely good workforce,” Mendoza stated of the Braves (31-39).
The Braves will go to New York for a four-game collection June 23-26.
“We have got an opportunity to make up some floor,” Olson stated. “It is going to be our first time seeing them.”
