Just when it looked like the Atlanta Braves were gaining momentum, they dropped the second game of their series against the Milwaukee Brewers. A day after their offense exploded, the Braves’ bats went quiet, managing only a single run in a 4-1 loss that evened the series.
Starter Grant Holmes delivered a solid performance overall, tying his career-high with nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings and throwing 100 pitches. However, he gave up three earned runs on five hits. Two of those runs came via a two-run homer off a slider from Jackson Chourio in the third, and the third came from a solo shot by Jake Bauers in the sixth on a four-seamer. Holmes showed signs of settling in by the fifth, striking out the side on just 10 pitches and keeping the game close at 2-1.
The Braves’ lone run came in the fifth, when Ronald Acuña Jr. drove in Nick Allen with an RBI single. Holmes was pulled after giving up the Bauers homer, and Aaron Bummer took over. Bummer struggled, loading the bases with no outs in the seventh before being replaced by Jose Ruiz, who made his Braves debut. Ruiz struck out Chourio but walked William Contreras, allowing another Brewers run to score and extending their lead to 4-1.
Earlier this season, the Braves had a habit of rallying late in games — especially in the eighth inning — to pull off comeback wins. Fans were hoping for a similar surge after Monday’s offensive outburst. But despite out-hitting the Brewers 8–6, the Braves left seven runners stranded and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Sluggers Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, and Ozzie Albies combined for seven strikeouts, highlighting the team’s struggles at the plate.
Milwaukee starter Quinn Priester, making just his second career start against Atlanta, was sharp through six innings. He allowed seven hits but just one earned run while striking out seven. His 27.1% whiff rate kept the Braves off balance all game long.
Atlanta hasn’t strung together back-to-back wins since mid-May and hasn’t won a series since taking two from Boston. There’s still a chance to win this series in game three, with Spencer Schwellenbach slated to start, but the window to turn things around may be narrowing fast.
If the Braves hope to climb back into contention, they’ll need more than occasional offensive bursts — consistency, on both sides of the ball, is the key. Until they find it, expectations will remain unmet, and the team risks falling even further behind.
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