Grant Holmes Gives Braves Career Night in Win Over Blue Jays

The Atlanta Braves needed a big night from one of their starting pitchers. Grant Holmes delivered. He took the mound in Toronto against the Blue Jays and pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks while striking out four. Holmes earned his first win of the season in the first game he pitched deep enough to qualify.

He threw 10 fewer pitches than in his previous start and pitched nearly double the number of innings. It also happened to be the deepest he’s pitched into a game in his career.

This isn’t the first clutch performance by Holmes this season, but the workhorse night played a pivotal role in the win.

His outing was deep enough to give nearly the entire bullpen the night off. Only Aaron Bummer, who was coming off the bereavement list, came in in relief. They got a chance to breathe after a brutal day on Sunday.

The choice to put him in the rotation to start the year is paying off. Since his rough start against the Dodgers March 31, Holmes had a 2.31 ERA in his last 11 2/3 innings pitched.

Outside of Spencer Schwellenbach, it’s been a rough start to the season for the pitching staff as a whole. The rotation’s ERA without Schwellenbach is pushing 6.00.

Manager Brian Snitker intended to have Holmes be a fill-in until Spencer Strider came back. However, with Reynaldo López on the Injured List and AJ Smith-Shawver being sent back to Triple-A, they’re going to continue to rely on him once every five days.

Holmes made his Major League debut in the bullpen last season and began making spot starts in the later months as injuries plucked off starters. It earned him a chance this season, and he’s making that chance count.

The Braves picked up their second road win of the season and improved to 5-11 on the 2025 campaign. They return on Tuesday looking to win their second series of the season. First pitch is set for 7:07 p.m.

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