Braves Send Grant Holmes to the Mound Wednesday — Need a Win Against the Nationals

The Atlanta Braves have won seven games in a row, swept the Dodgers, and looked like the best team in the NL East for most of the season. Then they dropped two straight to the Washington Nationals — a team sitting 67-74. Their lead over the Philadelphia Phillies is down to three games.
Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park, they are sending Grant Holmes to the mound to stop the bleeding.

What Holmes Is Working With

Holmes, 30, is 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 128.2 innings this season. He has faced the Nationals twice already in 2026. The first time, in late May, he threw five innings, allowed two runs, and struck out ten. The second time, in late July, he lasted 4.2 innings and gave up three home runs.
Wednesday is his third crack at them.
The right-hander could cross 130 innings pitched today, which would be a milestone for a pitcher who spent years in the minor leagues before finally sticking in the majors. He comes in having averaged 4.9 innings per start this season, with eight quality starts. The Braves need more than five innings from him today.

The Matchup

Washington is going with Brad Lord as an opener. Lord has pitched 69.2 innings this season with a 3.75 ERA, but he has started just four times. The Nationals are hoping he can get through a couple of innings before turning it over to the bullpen.
That could be the Braves’ opening. Washington’s bullpen has the third-worst ERA in MLB this season. If Atlanta gets to Lord early and forces the Nationals to go to their relief pitchers, they should have opportunities to score.
The problem is that Atlanta’s bats have not been great in this series. Matt Olson, who has struggled against this pitching staff all year, is hitting just .182 in 11 at-bats against them. The Braves need Ronald Acuña and Michael Harris to produce — both have hit well against Washington this season.
Why This Game Matters
Three games is not a comfortable lead in September. The Phillies have been playing well. Two losses in a row to a losing team is exactly the kind of stretch that allows a division race to tighten up fast.The Braves know this. Holmes knows this. The question is whether he can deliver.
First pitch at Nationals Park was scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.
Source: ESPN, Battery Power, Bleacher Nation, Yahoo Sports