Braves’ Grant Holmes will never forget his first MLB start and a moment with his father

MILWAUKEE — Three of the Braves’ worst innings this season spoiled the outcome, but did nothing to change the impact Grant Holmes made again Monday night in the first start of his major league career.

Holmes, a 28-year-old rookie who played hard in the minor leagues for 10 seasons before getting his first call-up to the majors six weeks ago, had another experience he’ll never forget, throwing his first seven outs via strikeouts and pitching five innings of three-hit, eight-strikeout, no-walk batters against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“What a special moment,” said Holmes, a South Carolina native who grew up cheering for the Braves. “I never thought I’d ever start for the Atlanta Braves, you know? So, here it is. I’m just taking it with everything I can and doing everything I can.”

He left with a 2-1 lead, in line for a potential victory and his first MLB decision, before reliever Jesse Chavez gave up a three-run homer in the sixth inning. Things went downhill from there, as sloppy defense contributed to another run in the seventh inning and a three-run eighth inning for the Brewers, who ran away with an 8-3 win, handing the Braves their seventh loss in nine games.

Still, the performance of Holmes, only the second pitcher in baseball’s Expansion Era (since 1961) to record the first seven outs via strikeouts in his first MLB start, brought smiles to his teammates as they talked about the soft-spoken, shoulder-length-haired pitcher who has delighted everyone in the locker room with his friendly personality and work-friendly attitude.

According to Elias, Grant Holmes became only the second pitcher in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to strikeout the first seven outs of his first MLB start.

— David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) July 30, 2024

Holmes has made three starts in 18 Triple-A appearances this season. He had a 2.70 ERA in 10 relief appearances for the Braves before Monday, averaging just over two innings in those appearances.

“Whatever they want me to do, I’m going to do it,” he said. “I feel like a utility pitcher. Whatever they want me to do, I’m going to do it.”

Chavez, who at 40 has already experienced everything in professional football, has admired Holmes since his arrival in Atlanta.

“Oh, it’s impressive,” he said of Holmes’ performance with the Braves. “When he went down and turned into a starter (in Triple A), I think that was the best thing for him, at this point in his career. Because he’s got so many pitches that he can use. And as a one-inning guy out there, you can’t do anything, or as much as you can do as a starter and be able to expand on some things. It’s been pretty impressive to watch him the last six weeks.”

That’s why it felt especially bad for Chavez to blow the lead when he allowed a three-run homer to Rhys Hoskins on an 0-2 cutter, a knee-high 89-mph pitch. It was Chavez’s fifth home run in his last 10 appearances.

“It wasn’t fun,” Chavez said. “Showering, rinsing off was harder today. I’m giving myself until then (the post-game shower), then it’s time to turn the page. But when I see that outing, see him do that, and then come in and not do what I’m supposed to do, it eats away at me a little bit more.”

It didn’t detract from Holmes’ performance, though. Not in the eyes of teammates or manager Brian Snitker.

“He definitely rose to the occasion,” Snitker said. “I thought he did a great job.”

The performance itself was memorable. Holmes struck out 53 batters in 70 pitches, retired the side in the first inning, then retired three more batters in a scoreless second inning after the Brewers started the inning by putting runners on the corners with nobody out on two singles and a throwing error on catcher Sean Murphy.

But when Holmes thinks back on that night, he will remember something that happened before the game, a moment he shared with his father.

John Holmes, a Baptist pastor in their hometown of Conway, South Carolina, surprised his son by traveling to Milwaukee to watch his first start. His mother, Cherlyn, couldn’t make it, but Holmes said his parents were “super excited” when he told them a few days ago that he would be starting a race in Milwaukee.

“I walked over there to warm up and I saw my dad in the stands. I didn’t…” Holmes said, and then he stopped suddenly, fighting back tears. He looked down, his face behind the brim of his cap, and paused for 16 seconds before he could finish the sentence. He suppressed his emotions as he did so. “I… didn’t… think he was going to come. But he did.”

He paused, collected himself and said, “It meant everything.”

(Photo by Grant Holmes: John Fisher/Getty Images)