NORTH PORT, Fla. — Braves pitcher Grant Holmes solidified his hold on a spot in the starting rotation Tuesday, throwing five scoreless innings in a spring-training start against the Detroit Tigers at CoolToday Park.
Holmes gave up one hit, walked three and hit two batters while striking out five. He collected eight groundouts. In his most troublesome moment, he had two on with one out in the top of the third before getting a strikeout. He then hit a batter (former Braves minor leaguer and Georgia Tech star Justyn-Henry Malloy) to load the bases before inducing a groundout to second baseman Ozzie Albies to end the threat.
“I felt like my stuff was a little off, but I made the pitches when I needed to and got the outs when I needed to,” said Holmes, whose 74 pitches were his high for the spring.
In three spring appearances covering 10 innings, Holmes has given up one earned run and allowed an opponent batting average of .091. After making his major-league debut in June after 10 years in the minors, Holmes is in line to be either the No. 4 or 5 starter (along with Ian Anderson) to open the season behind Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach. Most likely, one of the two would stay in the rotation when Spencer Strider returns from rehabilitation from elbow surgery, perhaps in early May.
“I’ll go in there and get some arm care done and just, I don’t know what else I’ll do,” Holmes said of his post-outing routine. “Grab something to eat. I’m pretty hungry.”
Presents from Sale
To thank them for helping him win the National League Cy Young Award last season, Sale brought gifts to teammates, coaches and staff.
Sale gave out engraved bottles of whiskey commemorating the award and a season in which he won pitching’s triple crown in the NL for leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225). Sale said he got the idea from former teammate Rick Porcello, who did the same for Boston Red Sox teammates after he won the 2016 American League Cy Young.
“I just thought that was kind of a pro move,” Sale said. “I can’t stress to you guys enough how much that they meant to me last year. This is a team game. No one does this by themselves.”
It made an impression. Some teammates said they planned not to open them and hold onto them as keepsakes. Sale said he ordered 200 bottles. It was suggested that he probably didn’t go cheap on the liquor.
“That doesn’t matter,” he said with a laugh. “But, yeah, I like to think it’s all right.”
Snitker unconcerned about spring production
Third baseman Austin Riley finished Tuesday’s game with one home run in 26 at-bats this spring. Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna had one home run in 25 at-bats.
Manager Brian Snitker was nonplussed, saying he couldn’t care less because spring training will be forgotten as soon as it ends and that players are working on timing and their swing and less concerned about results.
“As long as they get their at-bats and stay healthy, that’s all I care about,” he said.
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