The Atlanta Braves have played well this season without question, but the ball club was defeated on Saturday. The Braves dropped a 2-0 pitcher’s duel to the Washington Nationals in the contest.

Grant Holmes pitched well despite only turning in five innings of work. He allowed just two runs while striking out 10 hitters during that span. He did surrender six hits and two home runs, but it was a strong performance nonetheless.

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Meanwhile, Jake Irvin did not allow a hit over five innings while striking out seven. Overall, Nationals pitching only gave up one total hit. Michael Harris II was the only Braves player to record a hit in the ball game. Atlanta walked once as well and that was it from an offensive standpoint.

It was a surprising performance given how well the Braves have hit the baseball this year. Baseball features a long 162-game season, though, so there are going to be forgettable games like the one the team had on Saturday.

Overall, Atlanta is still 36-17 as they continue to lead the National League East. Washington, meanwhile, is 26-27 overall this year. The Braves hold a 9.5 game lead over the second place Philadelphia Phillies in the division, while the Nationals are in third place and 10 games behind the Braves.

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Holmes has been reliable for the most part across 10 starts this season. While he has not exactly been the best pitcher in baseball, he has often provided the team with an opportunity to win.

He now holds a 3.78 ERA so far in 2026. Holmes has struck out 48 hitters in 52.1 innings on the mound as well.

The Braves know who Grant Holmes is at this point. In 2024, he turned in a 3.56 ERA across 26 outings (seven starts). He followed that up with a 3.99 ERA in 22 appearances (21 starts) in 2025.

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The 30-year-old is not always going to dominate the competition, but he is going to turn in a respectable performance while giving his team a chance to win.

The Braves and Nationals will play once again on Sunday afternoon. The series is now tied 1-1. Atlanta is hoping to clinch a series victory at home on Sunday afternoon. First pitch for the ball game is scheduled for 4:10 PM EST in Atlanta in what will surely be another good matchup.