Holmes Sets the Tone, Ozuna Crushes One, Verdugo Seals Braves Win

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 12: Marcell Ozuna (20) of the Atlanta Braves reacts after hitting a home run to left center field during the Monday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals on May 12, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)

Back home after a trip to Pittsburgh, the Atlanta Braves opened a four-game series with the Washington Nationals. After a frustrating weekend against the Pirates, the Braves were ready to get back to the home front and put together a series opening win, and that is what took place. Let's see how it happened.

Grant Holmes took the mound looking to deliver a strong outing, hoping the offense would finally show up to support him. Holmes got right to work in the top of the first, striking out CJ Abrams and Nathaniel Lowe with sliders down in the zone. It was a noticeable shift from his previous outing, where he was tagged by the Reds on a few hanging pitches. This time, he stayed low and sharp early.

Alex Verdugo, trying to break out of a recent slump, led off the bottom of the first with a double off the right field wall. Manager Brian Snitker has stuck with Verdugo, showing confidence in his ability to work his way out of it. The leadoff double gave Atlanta a chance right away, but it turned into another missed opportunity. Riley and Olson flied out, Ozuna walked, and Harris II flied out to end the inning. The Braves went 0-for-3 with Verdugo in scoring position.

Holmes continued to look comfortable on the mound. He retired the side in the second on just ten pitches, striking out Keibert Ruiz, forcing a groundout from Luis García Jr., and a flyout from Josh Bell. Through two innings, Holmes had thrown only 20 pitches and appeared completely in control.

Sean Murphy tried to get something going in the bottom of the second, lining the first pitch he saw at 99.2 mph to left field, but it went straight to James Wood. Albies and Eli White were quickly retired, and Jake Irvin had himself an easy frame. Through two innings, Irvin had only allowed the Verdugo double and was at 26 pitches.

Holmes walked Dylan Crews to start the third on pitches low and around the edges. It felt like he was trying to be too perfect by not hitting the zone as much, but that walk was quickly erased as José Tena grounded into a double play. Holmes then struck out Jacob Young for his fourth of the night. Three innings in, and Holmes had allowed just one walk. It was shaping up to be a strong night.

Irvin collected two quick outs in the bottom half, but with two outs, the Braves got things rolling. Riley walked, Olson singled to right, and Ozuna delivered an RBI single to left to score Riley. Harris followed with one of his own, scoring Olson to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. Murphy then beat out an infield hit with a hustle play, but Albies flied out to end the rally.

The Nationals got one back in the fourth when James Wood drove a fastball from Holmes over Verdugo’s head for a solo home run. That made it 2-1, but that was all Washington could get. Michael Harris II made one of the plays of the night, making an over-the-shoulder catch at the wall to rob Luis García Jr. and help Holmes escape the inning.

After the game, Holmes had high praise for the highlight-reel moment from Harris, saying, "I have no words for it. It was amazing. One of the best catches I've ever seen. And it happening when I'm pitching, the end of the inning, you know, makes it that much more special."

Irvin settled back in and sat the Braves down in order in the fourth. Holmes worked around a leadoff single from Josh Bell in the fifth and continued to keep hitters off balance. Atlanta’s bats were putting together smarter swings tonight. It wasn’t just hopeful hacks. They were locked in and making contact.

Marcell Ozuna stepped up in the fifth and changed the tone again. With two outs and a 2-0 count, Ozuna crushed a belt-high fastball for a no-doubter. It traveled 464 feet and left the bat at 111.6 mph. It was just his sixth of the year but easily his most emphatic. That gave Atlanta a 3-1 lead, and Ozuna’s homer marked the fourth-longest in the majors this season.

Holmes kept rolling into the sixth. He was mixing all of his pitches well and staying out of the middle of the plate. Aside from the one to Wood, he had avoided major mistakes. Through six innings, he allowed just one run on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts on 76 pitches. It was exactly what Atlanta needed.

Ozzie Albies led off the sixth with a sharp line drive to right that was caught, continuing a stretch of bad luck for the second baseman. Irvin closed out his day after six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout. Atlanta had seven hits off the starter, a refreshing sign of life from the lineup.

Holmes came back out for the seventh. After Luis García Jr. doubled with one out, Brian Snitker turned to Dylan Lee. Lee responded perfectly, striking out Josh Bell and Dylan Crews to finish the frame. Holmes ended his night with 6.1 innings pitched, four hits, one run, one walk, and four strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 4.14.

Jose Ferrer took over for Washington in the bottom of the seventh. He faced three batters and exited after giving up a single to Riley. Jorge López replaced him and finished off the inning without further damage.

Atlanta’s bullpen got to work. Daysbel Hernández took the mound in the eighth and made things interesting. José Tena doubled to left-center, nearly caught by a diving Harris. Hernández then hit Alex Call with a fastball, putting two on with no outs. The inning turned thanks to stellar defense. Albies and Nick Allen turned a slick double play off the bat of CJ Abrams. Now with a runner on third and two outs, Hernández fired five sliders and struck out James Wood to end the threat.

Raisel Iglesias came in for the ninth, looking to lock down the save. Things started smoothly with a groundout from Lowe, but the rest unraveled. Ruiz and García Jr. both singled to put the tying runs on base. Josh Bell grounded out to Iglesias, and the Nationals were down to their final out.

That’s when things took a turn. Dylan Crews hit a ground ball to Nick Allen, who couldn’t get his footing and rushed a wild throw to first. Ruiz and pinch-runner Nasim Nuñez scored on the play, tying the game 3-3. It was a frustrating moment for a Braves team that had the win within reach.

After the game, Snitker commented on the play and what Iglesias has been going through, "You know, it's a tough play with a good runner, too, right there. I know he's not pleased with it. But it's like just the other day, there was just some balls right out of the reach and hitting the right spot. You know, that ball could have been right at Nick too. And then the inning's over and he gets the save. He's kind of pitching into some tough luck here, too. He's not getting any balls, any pitch he doesn't execute back either. That's life of a closer, man. Those guys are wired differently. They want the ball right there."

Iglesias walked Tena but bounced back to strike out Call and send the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Eli White led off the Braves’ half with a single to right, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Allen. The Nationals brought in Andrew Chafin to face Verdugo. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Verdugo came through with a hit up the middle to score White. Walk-off single. Braves win, 4-3.

It was a clutch moment for Verdugo, who entered the game in a funk but ended it 2-for-5 with the game-winner. A moment like that can help turn things around in a hurry.

Atlanta improved to 20-21, while Washington dropped to 17-25. Grant Holmes didn’t get the win after the ninth-inning error and blown save, but he gave the Braves exactly what they needed. Iglesias earned his third win of the year along with his third blown save. Jackson Rutledge took the loss for the Nationals.

The Braves put together one of their most encouraging offensive performances in games. Ten hits, only four strikeouts, and a 4-for-9 mark with runners in scoring position. They left eight on base but found a way to push through. Four runs scored isn't blowing the bulbs off the scoreboard, but it is right on average for Atlanta this year. The fact that this game wasn't all won in the last inning or two, just made it feel like a better style of ball was played tonight.

Snitker summed up where things stand, noting,"We're not swinging the bats team-wise like we know we can. I talked to the guys today. They're good hitters, and they're going to get it going. We're going to get on a roll and they're going to get hot. We just got to keep fighting the fight, you know, as you say."

Game two comes tomorrow night with Spencer Schwellenbach (1-3, 3.61 ERA) facing former Brave Michael Soroka (0-2, 7.20 ERA).