Braves vs Diamondbacks Pick: Holmes Faces Kelly in the Desert (Apr 26)

• Our Braves vs Diamondbacks pick looks at suddenly hot Atlanta visiting Arizona to play the D-Backs, who are hanging tough in the NL West
• Atlanta sends Grant Holmes to the mound, where he will face Arizona veteran Merrill Kelly
• The Braves had an atrocious start, but have played much better lately
• Arizona is hanging around as their NL West competitors slowly return to Earth

Atlanta Has Stabilized After a 5-13 Start

The Braves lost 13 of their first 18 games, were injured, and have been infighting. They looked like one of MLB‘s pending disasters. Spencer Strider just returned to the injured list with a hamstring injury. Ronald Acuña Jr. questioned the team’s selective disciplinary procedures when Jarred Kelenic was not punished for a lazy baserunning gaffe after Acuña was benched for a similar misstep in the past.

Still, they have been winning lately.

Against Arizona, converted reliever Grant Holmes takes the mound. Holmes is adapting well to the starting rotation. His overall ERA is 3.22. In his last three starts, he has tossed 17.1 innings, given up 9 hits, and 4 earned runs. He can lose the strike zone as he has walked 14 in 22.1 innings this season.

The only Diamondbacks batter with a hit against Holmes is Gabriel Moreno, who singled.

Austin Riley is hitting nearly .300 with power. Marcell Ozuna has an on-base percentage of around .500. Much of the lineup, including Kelenic, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris III, is struggling.

D-Backs Send Solid but Unspectacular Kelly to the Mound

The 36-year-old Merrill Kelly is a solid though unspectacular starter from whom the D-Backs generally know what they will get when he takes the hill. Except for his second start of the season against the Yankees, in which he gave up 9 earned runs in 3.2 innings, he has been reliably solid. In his next three starts, he tossed 17.2 innings, gave up 8 hits, and 4 earned runs.

Against Kelly, Albies is 1 for 7 with a home run. Riley is 4 for 9 with 2 doubles and a home run.

Ozuna has never hit against him.

The D-Backs’ Pavin Smith is off to a blistering start, leading the NL in hitting, slugging, OPS, OPS+, and more. They are still waiting for Eugenio Suarez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to get off the interstate.

Braves vs Diamondbacks Pick: Atlanta Wins Behind Holmes

Holmes has been impressive as a starter, and the Braves are getting their feet under them after a horrendous first two weeks. Kelly generally keeps his team in the game, but Atlanta will hit him and win behind Holmes.