The Atlanta Braves closed the series with the Texas Rangers, taking two of three games following an 8-5 win on Sunday. The win came on the backs of a five-hit game and four solo home runs.
Austin Riley had two solo home runs and four overall RBI during the game. In an off-and-on slump during the first half, Riley said he spent the All-Star break “running around with my boys.”
“It was kind of a mental break,” he said. “The first half kind of beat me up.”
The Braves had split the first two games of the series, winning with offense (15 runs) and an excellent start from Chris Sale on Friday, and losing 7-6 on Saturday, the first career start for rookie right-hander Owen Murphy (2.2 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs). On Sunday, Grant Holmes was back on the mound for the Braves at Truist Park.
Holmes has gone at least five innings during his past two starts against the Mets on July 3 and in Pittsburgh on July 8. The Conway, South Carolina, native was pitching his best ball coming into Sunday’s start. He would have another solid outing.
The Braves got started early, getting a 1-0 lead following a sacrifice fly from Michael Harris II that drove in Drake Baldwin, who singled to start the game. Riley hit his 11th and 12th home runs of the season, a solo to left field and a line drive to center field, in the second and fourth innings to put Atlanta up 2-0 and then 4-0. And in the third inning, Baldwin hit his 17th and 18th home runs of the season. It was Baldwin’s first multi-homer game this season. He would finish the game with five hits. The first Braves player to do so in several years.
Holmes, who was given a comfortable cushion throughout the game, was up to 35 pitches after three innings and had only struck out one Ranger during that span. After giving up a walk and a single to start the fourth inning, he struck out Ezequiel Davis, then forced a double-play to end the inning. He gave up his first runs of the game in forth inning following a double by Wyatt Langford, and a sac fly from Josh Jung. The Rangers pulled within a run after Jake Burger drove in a run with a single to left.
The Rangers saw enough of their starting pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi, after four innings. Eovaldi came into the game with a 4.04 ERA and was replaced by left-handed reliever Robby Ahlstrom.
Holmes would go five innings for a third consecutive start, giving up seven hits, two walks, and three earned runs. Dylan Dodd came on in relief and struck out pinch-hitter Cam Cauley and Kyle Higashioka, but gave up a pair of singles to give the Rangers two baserunners with two outs. He was replaced by Didier Fuentes, who pitched the eighth inning on Saturday, and proceeded to get the Braves out of trouble in the sixth and seventh innings.
The Braves left at least one runner on base in the first six innings of the game. They had Olson, Mauricio Dubon, and pinch-hitter Eli White, who reached on a fielder’s choice, with Riley at the plate. A two-run single up the middle of Texas reliever Peyton Gray gave Atlanta a 6-3 lead in the seventh. An RBI double, this time from nine-spot hitter Brewer Hicklen, put the Braves up 7-4. Baldwin’s home run made the score 8-4.
The Braves’ bullpen has been both hero and villain this season. Following Fuentes was Dylan Lee to pitch the eighth inning.
The San Diego Padres will be in town from Monday to Thursday for a four-game series that will put pressure on the Braves’ starting rotation and bullpen.
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