Braves even the series at 1 win a piece.
The Braves, fresh off last night’s frustrating loss, took the field at Truist Park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, looking to even the series against the Padres. It’s been a rollercoaster few days for Atlanta, with the team bouncing between highs and lows, and they knew this was an important game to stop the slide before it got worse.
They only managed a single run yesterday in the 2-1 loss, and that came from Ronald Acuña Jr.’s first-pitch homer. After that, the offense went silent. What made it sting even more was the wasted chance to win late, as Chris Sale and the bullpen put together a great effort on the mound. Eli White’s baserunning mistake didn’t help, and it feels like this Braves team sometimes find ways to lose just as often as they find ways to win.
Braves Get to Work
Atlanta struck first in the bottom of the second. After Alex Verdugo reached on a hit by pitch, he advanced to third on a couple of groundouts. Nick Allen then squibbed an infield hit down the third base line that stayed fair, allowing Verdugo to score and give the Braves a 1-0 lead. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. The big question was whether Grant Holmes could limit the damage against San Diego, and whether the Braves’ offense could do enough to back him up.
Holmes worked through two innings unscathed, racking up two strikeouts. In the third, he hit Brandon Lockridge to put a runner on, but got Fernando Tatis Jr. to strike out and Luis Arraez to fly out. He was one out away, but left a slider over the plate that Manny Machado laced for an RBI single, tying the game at 1-1. That was the moment you wondered if the bats would wake up—because if they didn’t, this game was going to slip away.
They answered. While the Braves hadn’t exactly broken the game open, they worked up Sean Reynolds’ pitch count. Drake Baldwin stayed hot, notching his second hit of the day in the third, going 2-for-2 at that point. Baldwin just keeps stacking hits, and it’s refreshing to see. After an Ozuna double play, Matt Olson launched a homer into the left field seats. Olson has caught fire lately—starting with that Boston series—and has been on a tear. Riley followed with a double, and just like that, Reynolds’ day was done. He couldn’t escape the third, leaving after throwing 57 pitches.
Offense Produces More
Verdugo kept the pressure on with a single off Wandy Peralta, putting runners at the corners. Ozzie Albies capped off the inning by beating out an infield single for an RBI to score Riley, pushing the Braves’ lead to 3-1 heading into the fourth.
That’s exactly what the Braves needed: some early runs and a little breathing room. It still wasn’t a lot, but it was something—and for a team that’s been pitching well over the past month, you’ve got to capitalize when the offense shows up. We’ve seen the Braves blow chances lately, so this felt like a big moment.
Drake Baldwin, once again, made us sound like a broken record. In the fourth, he improved to 3-for-3 on the day. It’s crazy how good this kid is. He hasn’t seen much of the league yet, but he just keeps hitting. Baldwin would finish the day 3-for-4 with a walk, continuing to prove he’s a spark plug in this lineup.
In the sixth, Ronald Acuña Jr. showed again that he’s back—blasting a two-run homer into the left field seats, pushing the Braves’ lead to 5-1. Acuña Jr. is a game-changer. When he’s in the lineup, you can feel the difference, and it feels like he’s ready to pull the rest of the team with him.
Another Solid Outing for Holmes
Grant Holmes delivered another rock-solid outing, cruising through seven innings and giving the Braves exactly what they needed. His final line: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
That’s eight straight starts going into the sixth inning, and four of his last five going into the seventh—he’s been consistent and solid.
After the game, Holmes kept it simple when asked about the key to going deep into games:
“Yeah, I mean, I feel like, you know, going deep in the ball game, you have a pretty good chance to win the game. You know, it’s just… getting strike one, you know, just letting them get theirselves out. Yeah, that was pretty much the game plan today.”
Holmes also praised Baldwin’s work behind the plate, giving the rookie credit for his growth and game-calling:
“I feel like he was good in the beginning, but, you know, I feel like he’s gotten even better. Calling the game. You know, studying the game, it’s gotten, you know, pretty significantly better. And, yeah, I mean, he’s great all around.”
The Braves added more insurance in the seventh. Riley was hit by a pitch, Verdugo singled, and Albies followed with another single to load the bases. Michael Harris II then came through with a two-run single, stretching the lead to 7-1. The Braves’ offense came to play today, and this felt like a total team effort.
Enyel De Los Santos took over in the eighth inning, tasked with protecting the big lead. The Braves’ bullpen has been shaky lately, but with a six-run cushion, they had room to breathe. Harris helped lock down the inning, making a stellar diving catch in center field to preserve the score.
Scott Blewett came on for the ninth to close it out. Other than a couple of walks, Blewett got through it without giving up anything, locking in the win for the Braves.
Final Thoughts: Braves Win
Ronald Acuña Jr. has come back and in two games shown what this team has been missing. It was 362 days since he was last in the lineup for the Braves prior to Friday, and the way he has come in, you wouldn’t think he’s been out that long. I’m trying to find the rust, but I don’t see any.
Brian Snitker had this to say after the game:
“That’s tough when you haven’t played in a year. I don’t care how many at bats you got in the minor leagues. I don’t know how many, you know, complex at bats you got. This is a different animal up here with the people, the energy, the quality of play. So it’s good that a kid could come back after that and, you know, hit the ground running, literally.”
Snitker also said that Acuña Jr. will play Sunday, barring any setbacks.
Final: Braves 7, Padres 1.
The Braves showed what they’re capable of when they put it all together—and with Acuña Jr. back and Holmes dealing, this team might just be ready to turn the corner.
