Weiss explains reasoning for pulling Holmes after four innings
Grant Holmes was not exactly pleased he was pulled after completing four innings of work Monday in what became a 10-4 loss for the Braves to the Marlins at Truist Park.
Manager Walt Weiss figured that would be the case but wanted to make sure Holmes knew why.
“He handled it like a professional. I knew he would,” Weiss said of Holmes’ reaction to the reasoning behind the pitcher’s shortest outing of the young season. “And I told him, ‘Clarity is more important. You don’t have to agree with me. And in the end, it looked like you were right and I was wrong.’ But it’s more important that there’s clarity than that we agree all the time so there’s no mixed messages.”
Holmes was perfect through his first three innings Monday, maybe as sharp as he has been all season. He recorded six groundouts and struck out a pair.
The fourth is where the trouble began starting with a seemingly harmless Jakob Marsee single up the middle. Xavier Edwards then walked on four pitches. Agustín Ramírez walked on six more. Liam Hicks hit a 95-mph fastball in the center of the zone to right field for a run-scoring sac fly.
By the time Holmes had salvaged the inning with a strikeout of Heriberto Hernández on a slider for the third out, the Marlins had scored three times, and Holmes had thrown 29 pitches in the frame.
When the fifth inning started, Aaron Bummer was jogging in from the Braves’ bullpen. Holmes retreated to the clubhouse. Bummer gave up three runs. So did Rolddy Muñoz in the sixth. Jose Suarez allowed one more in the eighth.
The Braves (10-7) couldn’t keep up offensively.
But Weiss explained while the battle was lost, the hope is that the war will be won in the weeks and months to come. Holmes was coming off 99 pitches over 6⅔ innings Wednesday in Anaheim, California, against the Angels. There was no need, in Weiss’ mind, for Holmes to go all out for a game in early April.
Holmes appreciated the honesty from his manager.
“Absolutely. That really made me feel a whole lot better,” Holmes said. “I’m sitting in here, pondering, like, ‘Why?’ But having him come in here and explain everything was really big of him.”
Holmes totaled only 59 pitches Monday. And even though the velocity dipped slightly on his fastball toward the end of the fourth inning, he and Weiss said there were no concerns over Holmes’ arm strength.
The 30-year-old right-hander tore his right ulnar collateral ligament in July and opted to rehabilitate the injury instead of undergo surgery.
“It’s more looking at the big picture for him this early in the year,” Weiss said. “If he didn’t have the outing he did the last time out in Anaheim, I wouldn’t have done it, most likely. And then, if he had an extra day’s rest, wasn’t on regular rest, I wouldn’t have done it. So there was multiple factors there. And then the fact he was (going to be facing the) third time through (the order), and then (we were) set up for Bummer, that was my thought process.”
Holmes’ next scheduled start is Saturday in Philadelphia against the Phillies. He’ll be a little bit more rested for that one, and Weiss, Holmes and the Braves hope he’ll be a little better, too.
“You know, now I can go to bed at night and sleep well knowing the reasoning why he did it,” Holmes said. “I feel like it goes a really long way. Walt’s a good guy, great manager, and I respect any decision he makes.
“All the years I’ve been playing, the minor leagues and here, I have not had the communication like that. I feel like the old-school guys keep to themselves. Walt’s kind of new school and old school. I really enjoy playing for him.”
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