This Braves Pitcher Owns Shohei Ohtani Like No One Else
Shohei Ohtani rarely looks overmatched. But when he steps in against Grant Holmes, the at-bats start to feel very different.
On Friday night in Atlanta, Holmes added two more strikeouts against the Dodgers superstar, bringing his season total to four punchouts of Ohtani — the most by any pitcher in baseball. No one in the NL West has done it.
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Not a Cy Young favorite, not a frontline ace. Just Holmes, a 28-year-old journeyman making his way through the Braves' rotation.
The story gets even more compelling when you look at Holmes' background. A former first-round pick of the Dodgers back in 2014, Holmes never made it to the majors in Los Angeles.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Grant Holmes (66) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Truist Park.Brett Davis-Imagn Images
He was dealt away in a 2016 trade and bounced around for years, stuck in the minors and waiting for a break that never seemed to come. Now with Atlanta, he's finally finding a rhythm — and making the team that drafted him pay for letting him go.
Friday's performance was Holmes' most electric yet. He struck out the side in the first inning — not just any side, but the top three of the Dodgers' lineup: Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman.
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All former MVPs. All down on strikes. It was just the third time this trio has ever been struck out consecutively, and the first time it happened in the opening inning.
It might be a small sample, but Holmes' mastery of Ohtani is real — and turning heads. With an ERA below 3.00 and a slider that's generating nearly 50% whiffs, Holmes is turning a fringe opportunity into a statement. And if he keeps this up, he won't just be the pitcher who owns Ohtani — he'll be a key piece of the Braves' rotation going forward.
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