Atlanta Braves pitching rocky and bats can’t catch up in loss to Marlins

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 28: Aaron Bummer #49 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the eighth inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Atlanta Braves took on the Miami Marlins in at Truist Park in a game that looked to be in the home team’s favor. Grant Holmes and his sterling ERA backed by an offense that leads the NL East in run differential by a large margin. The Marlins starter, Eury Pérez, has a career ERA of 12.19 against the Braves in his three starts against them.

The Braves went 5-2 against the Marlins last season at home. The Braves currently have an all-time record of 325-217 against the Fish since the franchise started in 1993.

Matt Olson made some history tonight playing in his 799th consecutive game, which places him in sole position of eleventh longest streak of consecutive games played in MLB history. It would have been nice to celebrate this milestone with a win,

Grant Holmes started the first inning well like he has been doing the past few years. He was able to retire the side on only ten pitches to include a strikeout. The second inning was almost as sharp. He was able to retire the side on twelve pitches while picking up his second strikeout of the night.

Holmes looked to just be getting started as he retired the side yet again in the third, and this time it was three ground outs that only took seven pitches. Things fell apart in the fourth inning for him though. Rising star Jakob Marsee led the inning with a single and Holmes control disappeared and he walked the next two hitter to load the bases. After a sac fly, Otto Lopez singled to make the score 0-2 with one out. Holmes got a fly out, but then Norby hit a single to make the score 0-3 before the top of the inning was over. Holmes was then taken out of the game. Holmes ended his worst outing of the year with three ER, two walks, three hits, and three strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.

The Braves had a slow start offensively, but were able to respond to the three runs the Marlins put up, but not before some wasted base runners. In the third inning Dom Smith got things going with a double and then Michael Harris walked. That is not a typo, new dad Michael Harris walked. After a pop up, Ronald Acuña hit a long fly ball to left center that was caught close to the warning track. Smith tried to advance but was thrown out at third for the inning ending double play.

The fourth inning for the Braves looked a lot like the Marlins. Baldwin singled on a 109.1 MPH screamer that went almost three hundred feet, followed by Matt Olson also hitting a single. Austin Riley got in on the fun and singled, scoring Baldwin and moving Olson to third. Riley then stole second base.

The Braves were not done with singles. Yastrzemski hit the fourth single in a row in this inning, scoring Olson and then he also stole second after an Albies pop up. Smith hit a sac fly to tie the game 3-3 and then Harris reached on a single that deflected off the pitcher. Unfortunately, no more runs were scored that inning.

It did not take long for the Marlins to respond. Aaron Bummer came in to pitch the fifth and it is clear he is on his last leg with the Braves. He gave up two singles and then a three-run HR to Agustín Ramírez to make the score 3-6. He did eventually get out of the inning picking up two strikeouts along the way, but the damage was done.

It looked like the Braves may respond in their half of the fifth when Ronald Acuña singled, followed by a Baldwin walk, but they only mustered one run in the inning thanks to a passed ball that moved the runners and Riley having an RBI groundout. The score was manageable at 4-6, but that did not last long.

Newly recalled Rolddy Muñoz came in to pitch and the very first hitter he faced, Connor Norby, on the first pitch he saw. It was a 93.9 MPH sinker right down the middle. The runs did not stop there. Muñoz gave up three more singles and a walk this inning. Add in two steals and that is a recipe for the Marlins to go up 4-9. Rolddy Muñoz ended his 2026 debut with 2.0 innings with five hits, three ER, one walk, and three strikeouts.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Marlins practically begged the Braves to come back. Calvin Faucher walked three hitters to load the bases with two outs, but once John King came in to replace him, he was able to get Baldwin to groundout and no runs were scored. The Braves offense was silent in the seventh, but the Marlins were not in the top of the eighth.

The hits kept on coming for the Marlins as they picked up three more singles in the eighth scoring a run to make the score 4-10. The Braves did some work to try and stay alive in their half of the eighth inning. Harris singled with two outs, followed by a walk from Mauricio Dubón. Acuña worked a full count, but ended up striking out swinging to end the eighth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Olson mustered a single after a Baldwin strikeout, but like a perfect bookend to a terrible outcome of a game, Austin Riley hit into a double play to end the game with the Braves losing by six runs.

The story of the night is that the Braves’ pitching failed them the worst they have all season. For the most part, the Braves’ pitching has been some of the best in MLB. Not tonight. Holmes showed real signs of fatigue, and the lower echelon of the bullpen performed like non-high leverage relievers might. The bad news is that José Suarez came in to pitch and struggled. He gave up four hits and an earned run, raising his ERA to 8.64. The Braves gave up a ton of singles. The Marlins had sixteen hits, and fifteen of them were singles.

Another key to the game is that the Braves failed to get things done with RISP. They were 3-12 when the Marlins capitalized more going 6-14. The Braves left nine runners on base to the Marlins’ eight.

One positive is that Michael Harris came back refreshed. He had two hits and a walk, boosting his OPS to .687 on the year. The Braves’ offense was also patient, drawing six walks.

It was going to be hard for the Braves’ offense to bail out the pitching tonight, and it just did not happen. The Braves dropped the series opener, but will have a chance at redemption when Reynaldo López takes the mound tomorrow at the same time and same place.