The Braves and Phillies were set to finish their series Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park with Grant Holmes and Andrew Painter on the mound, a matchup that put Matt Olson and Atlanta on the edge of a sweep in Philadelphia. First pitch was scheduled for 7:20 p.m. EDT on Peacock.
Holmes entered at 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA and was looking to rebound after his last start against Philadelphia on April 5, when he lasted four innings, walked four and struck out six in a Braves loss. Painter, also 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA, was making his third career start after five innings of one-run ball against Arizona, when he allowed three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
Atlanta had allowed just one run in its previous 18 innings going into the finale, a stretch that explained why the Braves were suddenly in position to sweep the Phillies on the road. That run support mattered because the pitching matchups had become the story, with Holmes coming off a brief outing and Painter still being eased into the rotation.
The Braves also made a lineup adjustment, moving Ozzie Albies up ahead of Mike Yastrzemski, and there would be no three straight lefties in the order. That was part of the same calculation that has followed Atlanta through the series: protect the lineup, keep the pressure on Philadelphia and hope Holmes can deliver a cleaner night than the one he had earlier this month.
Painter’s recent work suggested Philadelphia had reason to be patient with him. He was coming off a start that followed a rough personal morning — he had woken with a migraine and vomited several times before still managing five solid innings — and the Phillies were asking for another composed outing as they tried to stop Atlanta’s momentum. For Holmes, the assignment was simpler and less forgiving: get through the middle innings, avoid the early traffic and give the Braves a chance to finish a sweep they had put themselves within reach of.
