Grant Holmes gets the ball for Mets vs Braves on Friday, July 3, at 7:15 p.m. ET, starting the series opener for the Atlanta Braves against the New York Mets. Atlanta is trying to shake a month-long offensive struggle and end a run that has left it without a series win since June 20th.
Holmes Takes Elder’s Turn
Holmes is replacing Bryce Elder, and the move comes after Elder’s velocity dropped in his last outing. Atlanta is choosing a pitcher who carried a 3.96 ERA into this start, while the decision also puts a sharper lens on how the Braves want to manage the first game of the set.
His most recent appearance was compact and clean. Holmes worked four innings, allowed one hit and gave up no runs, but his recent line still sits at a 4.20 ERA across his last seven outings.
Braves Need More Than Innings
The numbers around Holmes show a clearer tradeoff. He has a career-low 20.7% strikeout rate in 2026, along with a career-high 11.1% walk rate, so the Braves are not just asking for length; they need fewer free passes and better finish on balls in play.
That is the backdrop for a lineup that has not produced enough. The Braves have gone through a month-long offensive struggle, and the opener against the Mets arrives with the first series win since June 20th still out of reach.
Christian Scott Paces The Mets
The Mets enter with Christian Scott lined up on the other side after returning from the IL a few weeks ago. He has posted a 3.20 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP since coming back, and his last start against the Phillies on June 27 lasted four innings with two runs, three hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
Scott said, “My main goal was to establish my offspeed stuff early in the game.” That gives the opener a clear shape: Holmes and the Braves need a stable first turn, while the Mets are sending a starter who has already shown the kind of contact control Atlanta has not been getting enough of from the top of its own rotation.
For the Braves, the assignment is straightforward. Holmes has to hold the game in place long enough for an offense in a slump to find a way through, and Friday’s opener is the first chance to do it.
