Braves’ game against Nationals halted by rain

The Atlanta Braves will not play the Tampa Bay Rays unless both teams make it to the World Series. So, for now, the Braves are the best team in baseball until further notice.

On Saturday afternoon, during the second of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals, the Braves didn’t look like their best en route to a 2-0 loss. Atlanta is 0-8 in games in which Grant Holmes, the game’s starter, strikes out 10 or more batters.

“It’s a strange one where we strike out 15 guys, only give up two runs and lose,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said after the game. “It was just a strange day for the offense.”

An inning and a half into the game, the rain came. The game was halted at 4:10 p.m., then resumed at 4:36 p.m. and didn’t proceed until 5:16 p.m. It was a 40-minute rain delay.

Grant Homes started the game for the Braves and found himself in trouble twice in the first three innings of the game. In the second inning, Washington leftfielder Daylen Lile hit a triple with two outs. He failed to score after Holmes struck out Nasim Nunez. In the third inning, following a single, double, and a walk to load the bases, Holmes got Luis Garcia, Jr. to hit into a double and Jose Tena to strike out to end the inning.

In the fourth inning, however, Holmes runs out of luck when Dylan Crews (1-5 with a stolen base on Friday) took him 370 feet for his first home run of the season to put the Nationals up 1-0. Holmes gave up another solo home run, this time to Washington third baseman Jorbit Vivas, to start the fifth inning.

Washington starter Jake Irvin went five innings without giving up a hit. He only walked one Braves player, Matt Olson, in the first inning. He was outstanding and was pulled from the game to start the sixth inning.

The Braves didn’t have better luck against reliever Brad Lord either. They only managed a single (Michael Harris II) and a hit-by-pitch (Mike Yastrzemski) during his time on the mound. Nobody had a rougher day than Ronald Acuna, Jr., who struck out four times.

Richard Lovelady, who started the game on Friday night and left after an inning, got the save for Washington. Game three of this series is on Sunday, with another 4:10 p.m. first pitch.

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