Holmes’ ‘special’ game with 15 strikeouts is wasted in loss as Braves shift focus to visit from Mets

ATLANTA (AP) – Grant Holmes believed he was on the verge of a game to remember when the Atlanta right-hander reached 10 strikeouts for the first time in his career – and it was only the fifth inning.

“It was a special moment,” Holmes said.

It was difficult for the Braves to explain how Holmes’ milestone game, which started with five hitless innings and ended with a career-best 15 strikeouts, was wasted in Sunday’s 10-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Holmes (3-6) did not allow a hit or a walk through five innings but trailed 1-0 thanks to his fielding and throwing errors on Ryan Ritter’s grounder in the third. After the Braves tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth, Holmes gave up Ryan McMahon’s go-ahead homer in the seventh. The right-hander gave up three runs, two earned, in 6 1/3 innings.

“It sucks to waste that start from him,” said Braves first baseman Matt Olson.

Holmes’ 15 strikeouts came one game after Spencer Strider’s 13 strikeouts in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Rockies.

“I didn’t see that coming,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, adding that Holmes’ strong start was not the only surprise.

“I felt good about putting runs on the board, too,” Snitker said, referring to the team’s strong hitting in scoring a combined 16 runs while winning the first two games of the series.

“We’re starting to click here and get this thing rolling,” Snitker said. “We just can’t get off the mat and get anything rolling for any extended time and we haven’t all year.”

Relievers Enyel De Los Santos and José Ruiz combined to give up seven runs after Holmes’ exit.

Even so, Holmes’ start gives the Braves confidence in their rotation which also includes Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Chris Sale and Bryce Elder.

“Those guys are really good,” Holmes said. “… I feel like going forward if we stay like we are we’ll be in a pretty good position.”

The Braves have won back-to-back series against Milwaukee and Colorado, but they couldn’t complete the sweep of the Rockies they hoped would provide momentum for a visit from the NL East-leading New York Mets. The three-game series begins on Tuesday night.

The Braves tweaked their rotation, moving Sale from his scheduled start on Sunday so he could follow Schwellenbach against the Mets, with Strider planned for the third game.

The Mets will be looking to rebound after being swept at home by Tampa Bay. They are still 13 games ahead of third-place Atlanta in the division.

“We’ve got to turn the page and get ready to play Tuesday,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza following Sunday’s 9-0 loss to the Rays.

“We know when you look at this team on paper, that’s a really good team,” Mendoza said of the Braves (31-39).

The Braves will visit New York for a four-game series June 23-26.

“We’ve got a chance to make up some ground,” Olson said. “It will be our first time seeing them.”