Grant Holmes will start for the Braves on Tuesday night when they open a four-game series against the Miami Marlins, giving Atlanta the ball in the middle of a five-game winning streak and a chance to keep the pace it has built. Ryan Gusto is set to start for Miami in the 7:15 p.m. ET matchup at Truist Park.
The pairing is the kind that matters now because both clubs need the game for different reasons. The Braves are looking to win another series, while the Miami Marlins arrive at 58-55, tied with San Diego and two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks for a Wild Card berth. That makes the first night of Marlins Vs Braves more than a routine opener; it is a turning point in the standings for one team and a momentum test for the other.
Holmes has been effective enough on paper, with a 6-4 record and a 3.88 ERA, but the recent workload is harder to ignore. He has not pitched six innings since June 3, and his last outing on July 30 lasted 4.2 innings, with five hits and three solo home runs allowed against the Washington Nationals. He also saw Miami earlier in the year and was tagged for three runs in four innings in mid-April.
That is why the Braves are asking for efficiency rather than length. Holmes was at his best on July 8 against the Pirates, when he allowed three hits and no runs, but the pattern since then has been more uneven than Atlanta would like. The matchup puts pressure on him to get through the order cleanly, especially with the Braves trying to protect a lead in the NL East race while keeping their rotation from being overextended.
Gusto brings his own problems to the other side. He is 0-2 with a 5.31 ERA, and his most recent start came July 29 against Philadelphia, when he went five innings and gave up 9 H, 6 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB and 3 K. That leaves both teams leaning on pitchers who have not exactly been in command, which is part of what makes the opener feel unstable even before the first pitch.
Atlanta also is making small adjustments behind the matchup, going back to Drake Baldwin at the top of the batting order and starting Riley after a day on the bench. The game will be on radio at 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan and La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM, with the next real answer coming when Holmes takes the mound at 7:15 p.m. ET. If he can finally work deep into a game, the Braves can keep their streak moving. If he cannot, the question about how long he stays in the rotation will only get louder.
