The Braves fell to the Marlins 4-2 on June 21, 2025, as Eury Pérez outdueled Grant Holmes. Matt Olson's on-base streak lives on, but can Atlanta stop its slide?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's a familiar story for Braves fans lately: flashes of individual brilliance overshadowed by a tough team loss. That was the script again on Saturday in Miami, as the Braves fell 4-2 to the Marlins. While the final score stings, dropping the team further below .500, standout performances from Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr., and even starter Grant Holmes offered glimmers of hope in what's become a challenging stretch.
Matt Olson extended his on-base streak to 22 consecutive games, the longest active streak in all of Major League Baseball.
Making another start in a rotation desperately missing its aces, Grant Holmes gave the Braves a chance to win. The right-hander battled through six innings, allowing three runs and striking out five. It was a quality outing that kept Atlanta in the game, but Marlins starter Eury Pérez was simply on another level. Pérez dominated for seven innings, fanning eight Braves and largely silencing the Atlanta bats. The only breakthrough came in the fifth when Matt Olson delivered a clutch two-run single, momentarily giving the Braves life. Unfortunately, that was all the offense they could muster, and a late insurance run by Miami sealed the 4-2 defeat.
If you're looking for bright spots, look no further than the top and middle of the lineup. Ronald Acuña Jr. clearly loves hitting at loanDepot park, extending his hitting streak in Miami to 10 straight games with a 2-for-4 night that included a double and a run scored. He also swiped his third bag of the series, reminding everyone of the dynamic threat he is. Meanwhile, Mr. Consistent, Matt Olson, just keeps finding a way on base. His two-run single extended his on-base streak to a whopping 22 games, the longest active streak in MLB. It's a testament to his elite plate discipline and a key reason he leads the team in RBIs.
While the bats were mostly quiet, the leather was not. Austin Riley provided the defensive play of the night in the seventh inning, making a spectacular diving snag on a scorching line drive to rob Kyle Stowers of a hit. The highlight-reel play lit up social media and was a reminder of the Gold Glove-caliber defense at the hot corner. Unfortunately, the other big news of the day was a lack of it. The injury report remains unchanged, with key arms like Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, and A.J. Smith-Shawver still sidelined. With no new timetables for their return, the pressure remains on the current staff to piece it together every night.
The loss stings, pushing the Braves to seven games below .500 and making the path back to contention even steeper. With the series finale on Sunday, Atlanta desperately needs to salvage a win and build some momentum. The individual streaks from Olson and Acuña are fantastic, but they need to translate into the win column. The challenge remains the same: find enough offense to support a pitching staff that's battling hard but is stretched thin. Here's hoping they can put it all together tomorrow and head home on a high note.
