The Braves finally found a clean one.
After weeks of sliding, Atlanta put together a 3-0 win over the Pirates at PNC Park, a game built on pitching, patience, and just enough late offense to avoid another miserable night. It also put the Braves in position to win their first series since June 20, when they beat Milwaukee, capped by an Ozzie walk-off HR.
For most of the night, though, the bats looked like they might stay silent again. Pittsburgh starter Jared Jones was carving through the lineup with a lively mix of a plus 4-seamer, an occasional change, and a nasty slider, and through six innings he had a perfect game going. He was out after 77 pitches, and that decision opened the door Atlanta needed.
The Braves still had to wait a bit. Ozzie scratched a hit off reliever Mason Montgomery in the seventh, then Atlanta finally broke through in the eighth against Dennis Santana.
Yaz doubled off the wall in right field, Joey Bart followed by launching a two-run homer to right-center, and suddenly the Braves had a 2-0 lead. In the ninth, MHII doubled into the left-center gap, and Drake added an RBI single with two outs and two strikes to make it 3-0.
The shutout was a full-team effort on the mound. Grant Holmes, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd, Dylan Lee, and Raisel Iglesias all kept the Pirates off the board, and Atlanta needed every bit of it.
Holmes did his part early, matching Jones through five innings while allowing only three singles and a walk and striking out five. He also got help from a sharp catch by Mauricio Dubón deep in the left-field corner.
Fuentes came on in the sixth and brought heat of his own, striking out two while allowing only a bloop single. Dylan Lee was just as sharp in the eighth, striking out two and facing the minimum with a filthy slider.
Iglesias finished it off in the ninth after Juan Soto had terrorized him this past Sunday, and this time the result was much different: K, F8, BB, K, ballgame.
Bart was the one Braves hitter who had really squared up Jones before the late rally, including a drive to left that Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds reached above the fence to catch. It was the easiest HR robbery you’ll ever see, but it underscored how electric Jones was before Don Kelly pulled him.
At presstime, the Phils were down by a TD/PAT in Cincy, giving Atlanta a chance to get back to a three-game lead by night’s end. [editor’s note: Reds 11-Philly 5 final]
In Other News...
Braves May Already Have Their Best Shortstop Answer In House
Cristian Dubn has quietly become one of the more useful bats in the Braves mix, showing up near the top of the club in batting average and OPS while adding the kind of situational production that tends to matter in October-style baseball. His work has been especially notable with two outs and runners in scoring position, and he has also given Atlanta valuable defensive flexibility by handling shortstop and several other spots around the diamond.
That versatility is part of why Dubn has started to look like a real answer for a team still sorting out its long-term shortstop picture. The Braves have other options in the conversation, and rookie Jim Jarvis has done enough to stay on the radar, but he still profiles more as a utility piece than a clear everyday solution. With the position unsettled beyond this season, Dubns all-around value is making the decision harder, not easier. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Deadline Focus Just Shifted To A Move Fans Have Wanted
Atlantas position atop the NL East has held up even through a rough June, and a recent series win over the Pirates offered a reminder that the Braves are still very much in the mix. But the bigger picture around the club has shifted toward what comes next, with Alex Anthopoulos already signaling that Atlanta expects to be active at the trade deadline and that pitching help will be a priority.
The emphasis on starting pitching makes sense for a team trying to steady itself for the stretch run, and the market could push the Braves toward a familiar veteran type if they decide to make a move. Sonny Gray has surfaced as one name to watch, giving fans a reason to keep an eye on how aggressively Atlanta pursues rotation upgrades over the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Revealed Two Braves Deadline Fits Fans Will Obsess Over
The Braves deadline conversation is already taking shape around two very different needs, and ESPNs Jeff Passan put a spotlight on both. Atlanta is looking for starting pitching help, and Passan flagged Freddy Peralta as a possible fit while also pointing to the shortstop market, where CJ Abrams stands out as the kind of player who could reshape a lineup if he ever became available.
Abrams is the more intriguing name for Braves fans because the upside is obvious, but the path to a deal is anything but. Passan noted the Nationals are highly unlikely to move him and would drive a massive price if they even entertained it, which leaves Atlanta in the familiar spot of weighing big-name possibilities against the reality of what actually gets done in July. [Read more 🡒]