The Braves fell to the Orioles 2-1 on July 6, 2025, getting swept despite a Sean Murphy homer. Grant Holmes pitched well, but the loss drops Atlanta to 39-50.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
There are tough losses, and then there's what happened Sunday at Truist Park. In a game that felt like a microcosm of this frustrating season, the Atlanta Braves were swept by the Baltimore Orioles, dropping the finale 2-1. The loss marks their fourth straight and pushes the team to a season-worst 39-50 record. For a club with championship aspirations, being 11 games under .500 in July isn't just a slump; it's a crisis.
The Braves fell to 39-50, a season-worst 11 games under .500.
With an early 11:35 a.m. start time, Manager Brian Snitker opted to rest Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, and Marcell Ozuna. While understandable, the decision left the lineup without its three biggest bats, and the results were predictable. The Braves managed seven hits but couldn't string them together, leaving runner after runner stranded. The only run came on a solo shot from Sean Murphy in the bottom of the ninth, a classic 'too little, too late' moment against the dominant Orioles, who got all the offense they needed from a Jackson Holliday two-run homer.
The most frustrating part of the loss might be the performance of Grant Holmes. The right-hander was solid, going 6.2 innings and allowing just those two runs on the Holliday homer. He struck out five and gave his team every chance to win. But as we've seen too often, a quality start isn't enough for these Braves. Holmes was saddled with his eighth loss of the season (4-8), a record that doesn't reflect how well he pitched. When your margin for error is zero, one mistake is all it takes to lose.
The day's bad news wasn't confined to the field. The Braves made a series of roster moves, bringing back familiar face Jesse Chavez from Gwinnett to provide a fresh arm for a gassed bullpen. Dylan Dodd was optioned to make room. The corresponding 40-man roster move, however, was a gut punch: budding ace Spencer Schwellenbach was transferred to the 60-day injured list. This confirms the worst fears about his injury, meaning the promising righty won't be eligible to return until September at the earliest. Just as the team desperately needs pitching reinforcements, one of its brightest young arms is officially shelved for the long haul.
As the dust settles on a miserable weekend, the Braves are left staring up from a deep hole. They are now 11 games under .500 with pitching woes mounting and an offense that can go cold at a moment's notice. There's still time to turn it around, but the clock is ticking loudly. The stars will need to return and carry this team, and the front office faces immense pressure to find answers on the mound. The hope of July is quickly fading, replaced by the urgent reality that this season is on the brink.
