The starting rotation has been a point of conversation for the Atlanta Braves all season, and that conversation only got louder down the stretch after news broke that Bryce Elder will miss 3 to 4 weeks following knee surgery .
Fortunately, the Braves have found some much-needed stability from a much-needed source. Grant Holmes has been on a great stretch over the last three weeks or so, providing reliable support behind Chris Sale in the rotation. Since Aug. 20, Holmes has allowed just three earned runs and 12 hits across 20 innings, striking out 13 batters and lowering his season ERA from 3.82 to 3.46.
The stretch has included some real highlight-reel outings. On Aug. 20, Holmes carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox . In his next start, he needed just 26 pitches to retire the first nine Washington Nationals hitters in order, before a rain delay cut his outing short. Most recently, he struck out six batters across six innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on just three hits.
That Phillies start also offers a clue as to what's fueling the surge. Holmes' fastball has picked up noticeable zip, averaging 94.8 mph in that outing - up from his 94.1 mph season mark.
The added velocity has helped his sequencing, too: he's leaning on a strong four-seam attack early in games before mixing in his slider and curveball to keep hitters off-balance later, a significant adjustment from earlier in the season when he often struggled the second and third time through the order. His slider remains the signature weapon, and the extra fastball velocity has only made it play up further, generating high whiff rates when paired together.
Holmes appears to be getting stronger as the season enters its final month, and the Braves will need every bit of it as they look to secure the NL East title and jockey for playoff seeding. He'll look to keep the hot streak going in his next start on Sept. 14 at Wrigley Field against NL MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Chicago Cubs .
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/braves/onsi as One Underrated Starter the Braves Can Still Rely on Down the Stretch .
