ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves provided more evidence that their offense is coming around in Sunday’s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Truist Park.
Trouble on the mound for the home team let a potential three-game sweep get away.
Jose Siri hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning off Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias, and the Rays beat the Braves 8-6 in an interleague matchup Sunday afternoon.
Ben Rortvedt hit the first grand slam of his Major League Baseball career in the fourth inning, and Brandon Lowe was 2-for-3 with a homer for the Rays, who entered having lost seven of their past nine games. Tampa Bay improved to 34-38 but sits at the bottom of the American League East Division standings.
“Wins are tough to come by,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We are feeling it right now. Up 6-2, normally you are feeling pretty good, but the reality is, teams are playing us tough. Pleased with the effort for sure today.”
Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Jason Adam (1-0) to tie the game at 6, his third straight game with a home run.
In the ninth, Iglesias (0-1) walked leadoff batter Randy Arozarena and struck out Richie Palacios before Siri hit a low changeup 416 feet to the stands in left-center field.
“I’m in the on-deck circle, so I see it right off the bat,” Rortvedt said. “He’s hitting lasers to all parts of the ballpark. It is a lot of fun to watch. He’s electric.”
Pete Fairbanks recorded his 10th save in 11 chances this season for the Rays, walking the leadoff man in the bottom of the ninth before retiring the next three batters.
Rays starter Zach Eflin gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Braves rookie Hurston Waldrep struggled again in his second MLB start, giving up six runs on five hits, including two homers, four walks and a hit batter in 3 1/3 innings. The 22-year-old right hander, who had two strikeouts Sunday, has allowed 13 runs over seven innings in the majors.
After the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker said Waldrep, a Georgia native who is just a year removed from pitching in the College World Series for the Florida Gators, would be sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson extended his hitting streak to 10 games, going 3-for-3 with a double. For the second straight game as the Braves’ leadoff hitter, center fielder Jarred Kelenic hit a home run, this one to start the game. Atlanta catcher Travis d’Arnaud was 2-for-4 with a homer.
Rortvedt’s grand slam broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth. With one out, Waldrep hit Arozarena with a pitch, then walked Palacios and Siri. Rortvedt pulled the first pitch just inside the foul pole in right for his first home run of the season.
“In that situation, the first pitch might be the best pitch to hit,” Rortvedt said. “My first (at-bat), I think I had six pitches and I flew out. First pitch there might be the best pitch, and I put a swing on it.”
The Braves cut into Tampa Bay’s lead in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Adam Duvall and a throwing error by Palacios that scored Riley. Palacios, playing third base for the first time in his three-year MLB career, committed two errors.
Atlanta, which entered Sunday having won three straight games after losing a season-worst five in a row, scored at least six runs for the fourth consecutive game. The Braves totaled 28 runs in their past four games, one more than they scored in the nine games before that.
Atlanta (38-31), the six-time reigning champion in the National League East, is currently second in the division, eight games behind the NL-leading Philadelphia Phillies (47-24).
The six-game homestand for the Braves continues with another three-game interleague series as the AL Central’s Detroit Tigers come to town. The scheduled starting pitchers for Monday’s opener are Atlanta left-hander Max Fried (6-3, 3.20 ERA) and Detroit right-hander Reese Olson (1-8, 3.68).
Holmes at last
Atlanta’s bullpen received an unexpected boost from someone who has been waiting a long time to make an impact in the major leagues.
Right-hander Grant Holmes made his MLB debut after 10 years in the minors, working three scoreless innings against the Rays.
The 28-year-old South Carolina native was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett when reliever Ray Kerr was sent down, and manager Brian Snitker summoned Holmes from the bullpen with the Braves trailing 5-2 after five innings Sunday.
Holmes allowed two hits and struck out two batters while facing the minimum nine in his three innings, inducing double plays after giving up singles in the seventh and eighth.
“Happy for him, guy that’s been around as long as he has, to keep fighting and grinding through. Really cool,” Snitker said. “And he did a great job. I can’t think where our bullpen would be right now without him.”
Holmes was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2014 MLB draft, and he was with that organization until 2016 before being traded to the Oakland Athletics. He worked his way up to Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, playing there from 2019 to 2022, and moved into the Braves’ organization late that year.
He was 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 18 games for Gwinnett this season, including three starts.
In discussing rookie starter Waldrep being sent down because he needs more experience, Snitker pointed to Holmes.
“There’s the experience,” Snitker said. “Those guys figure things out. Who knows? This guy could be a late bloomer. He’s got a good arm, good stuff, and he did a great job for us today.”