Grant Holmes fans 10, but the Braves' bats go cold in a 4-0 loss to the Angels on July 2. Despite Matt Olson's streak, a late collapse wastes a gem.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It's a story becoming all too familiar for Braves fans this season: brilliant starting pitching undone by a silent offense. Grant Holmes was electric on the mound Tuesday, fanning 10 Angels over six shutout innings, but his masterpiece was squandered as the Braves' bats couldn't solve Tyler Anderson or the Angels' bullpen, ultimately falling 4-0 at Truist Park in a frustrating shutout loss.
Matt Olson extended his on-base streak to 31 games with a first-inning single, the longest active streak in Major League Baseball.
For seven innings, it was a classic pitcher's duel. Grant Holmes was nearly untouchable, allowing just three hits and looking every bit the ace. But the Braves' offense, a recurring issue in this recent slump, couldn't provide a single run of support. Michael Harris II snapped a miserable 0-for-22 skid with a triple, only to be left stranded. Ronald Acuña Jr. had a particularly rough night, striking out four times. The scoreless tie was finally broken in the eighth when reliever Dylan Lee surrendered a go-ahead double to Jo Adell, followed by a back-breaking two-run double from the newly-activated Jorge Soler, sealing Atlanta's fate.
In a season that's testing the patience of the fanbase, Matt Olson remains a model of consistency. With a single in the first inning, the first baseman extended his on-base streak to a career-best 31 games. It's not just a team-high; it's the longest active streak in all of baseball, a testament to Olson's steady presence in a lineup that has otherwise gone cold. While individual accolades feel hollow in a loss, Olson's performance is a daily reminder of the talent that still anchors this team, even as they've dropped to 38-46 on the year.
The Braves will have little time to dwell on the loss as they send rookie Didier Fuentes to the mound for Wednesday's series finale. After two rocky starts have left him with a 10.80 ERA, the pressure is on the young right-hander to find his footing against a tough Angels lineup. The bigger story, however, might be in the batter's box. Outfielder Jurickson Profar is set to make his long-awaited return after serving an 80-game suspension. With the offense desperate for a jolt, the team is hoping Profar's bat can provide the missing ingredient to finally snap this skid.
Another game, another frustrating loss where the pieces just didn't fit. The Braves have now lost five of their last six, and the pressure is mounting. Wednesday's game feels like a potential turning point. Can Didier Fuentes deliver a much-needed quality start, and will Jurickson Profar's return ignite an offense that has been dormant for too long? Atlanta needs answers, and it needs them now.
