The Braves head into Labor Day weekend still sitting on top of the National League East at 83-57, but the margin has tightened enough to make this four-game set in Philadelphia feel like a real measuring stick. Atlanta holds the NL’s No. 2 seed for now, with the Phillies four games back and looming large as the series opens Friday night and wraps with a Labor Day matinee Monday.
One day before first pitch, Atlanta made a change to its pitching plan. Grant McAuley of 929 The Game reported on X that Bryce Elder, who had been lined up to start Monday’s finale, has been scratched in favor of Grant Holmes.
The move makes sense on the numbers the Braves are working with. Elder has had a rough time against Philadelphia, carrying an ERA north of seven across six career starts versus the Phillies.
Holmes has been far more effective in that matchup, posting a 2.95 ERA over 18 ⅓ innings against them with 17 strikeouts and nine walks. He’ll be opposed by Jesús Luzardo in Monday’s game.
Elder’s most recent outing came Monday against the San Francisco Giants, when he took the loss after allowing five runs in 5 ⅓ innings. His next turn should come early next week against the American League No. 1 seed Tampa Bay Rays.
That’s only the beginning of a demanding stretch for Atlanta. After this trip to Philadelphia, the Braves host the Rays from Tuesday through Thursday, then see the Phillies again next weekend at home. Once they’ve played 10 straight days, they’ll head to Wrigley Field for a three-game series with the red-hot Chicago Cubs.
It’s the kind of run that will reveal plenty about the Braves over the next two weeks. A winning record through it would go a long way toward building confidence in this club as October approaches.
In Other News...
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Tampa Bay leads the division by 3.5 games, and every little edge matters as the race tightens. Hicks gives the Rays more production behind the plate and another bat in a lineup that is trying to do enough to lock up an automatic bye to the ALDS, which is exactly the sort of advantage that can loom large once September pressure sets in. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Hit A Familiar Wall In Another Frustrating Loss
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Shane McClanahan was solid enough early before the fifth inning tilted the night, and the Rangers made the most of it when Corey Seager connected for the first big swing of the game. From there, Tampa Bay was left chasing against a Texas staff that never seemed to give them an opening, adding to the frustration of a loss that felt familiar in both manner and result. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Deadline Gamble On Freddy Peralta Looks Bigger After Latest Start
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For a Rays team that made the move with October in mind, the early returns are making the gamble look more and more worthwhile. Peraltas presence has added depth and edge to the starting staff, and each strong outing only sharpens the sense that Tampa Bay bought not just innings, but a weapon built for pressure. Whether that payoff keeps building over the final stretch is the part the Rays are watching most closely. [Read more 🡒]