Grant Holmes starts Braves' nine-game trip as Drake Baldwin watches roster shifts
drake baldwin was in the mix as the Braves opened their longest road trip of the 2026 schedule on Friday night in Denver, with Grant Holmes taking the mound against the Rockies at Coors Field. The trip runs nine games across three cities, an uncommon stretch away from home for a club built around power and depth.
Holmes at Coors Field
Holmes entered the game at 2-1 with a 3.62 ERA, having allowed 20 hits while striking out 21 and walking 12 across 27 1/3 innings. He had gone six innings in three of his last five starts and had not allowed more than three runs in any of his first six starts, giving Atlanta a steadier opening option than a spot start would have offered.
Friday’s first pitch came at 8:40 p.m. EDT, and the matchup put Holmes opposite Jose Quintana, who had a 1-2 record and a 4.91 ERA entering the night. Atlanta got the ball to a pitcher who had worked deep enough to reduce pressure on a bullpen facing a nine-game road trip.
Quintana and the Rockies
Quintana came in with 11 walks and nine strikeouts through four starts, after time on the injured list with a right hamstring strain following his first outing. His last start was a 5 1/3-inning effort in a 3-1 win at the New York Mets on Sunday, a sharper line than the one he posted on April 20 against the Dodgers, when he allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits over five innings.
That sequence gives Atlanta a cleaner read on the game plan: Quintana had shown both volatility and a recent rebound, while the Braves arrived with the third-most home runs in the majors at 43. Power plays differently at Coors Field, and the opener asked Holmes to hold the game in range long enough for Atlanta’s lineup to matter.
Atlanta lineup changes
Money Mike sat again with a quad injury, so the Braves used Kyle Farmer for his first start of the year in a short-turnaround getaway day setup. Dominic Smith returned to the lineup because Michael Harris was able to play center field again, a shuffle that kept Atlanta from losing too much depth while it began a nine-game trip that would continue through next weekend.
For a team that rarely faces a three-city road swing like this one, the practical issue is simple: the first game sets the tone for how long the bullpen and bench can stay flexible. If Holmes gives Atlanta another six-inning start, the Braves can keep that flexibility intact instead of spending the rest of the trip managing damage.
