Holmes no-hitter bid, then Sale vs. Misiorowski: Braves snap the skid into a first-place weekend

Grant Holmes walked a no-hitter into the seventh at Rate Field, Austin Riley drove in both runs, and Atlanta beat the White Sox 2-0 on Thursday. That snapped a three-game sweep in Minnesota and a 5-of-6 slide. Then they got on a bus to Milwaukee.

Friday is Chris Sale against Jacob Misiorowski — MLB’s 1-2 in ERA — at 3:10 p.m. CT. Two afternoon games at American Family Field, then the Little League Classic in Williamsport on Sunday night. First-place team, first-place opponent, no more White Sox makeup games to hide in.

Holmes answered the rotation noise

Holmes’ last start was 3 2/3 innings and six earned against Arizona. AJ Smith-Shawver’s recall this week put a six-man rotation on the board and put Holmes’ job in the group chat. Thursday was the answer.

Six-plus innings, 94 pitches, three walks, three strikeouts, one hit. Andrew Benintendi’s single in the seventh — after a Miguel Vargas walk — ended the no-no. Walt Weiss had sent him back out to chase it. Didier Fuentes then struck out the next three. Dylan Lee handled the eighth. Raisel Iglesias got his 26th save.

Holmes is 8-5 with a 3.64 ERA. Atlanta’s last no-hitter is still Kent Mercker on April 8, 1994. Holmes knew it every inning. Riley’s RBI double in the third and RBI single in the seventh were the whole offense. Final: Braves 2, White Sox 0 (8 hits to 1). Makeup of the June 11 rainout. Atlanta is 75-53.

Sale-Misiorowski is the actual test

Misiorowski leads the majors at 1.75 ERA, 210 strikeouts, 0.75 WHIP, .151 opponent average. Sale is second in ERA at 2.16 and 37 years old. That is not a “see how the kids look” Friday. That is two Cy Young ballots sharing a mound.

They have already seen each other’s clubs this year, just not in the same game. Misiorowski lost a tough one at Truist on June 19 (two earned in six). Sale threw 5 2/3 the next night and left with a no-decision before Ozzie Albies’ walk-off. Sale’s last turn was one run in six at Arizona with a 99.1 mph fastball — the loss was the lineup, not the lefty.

Weiss after Thursday: you turn the page, you’re in first place, you take the next challenge. The next challenge is a Brewers club sitting 79-49.

The stretch this weekend actually starts

Smith-Shawver is back 14 months after Tommy John. Tyler Mahle and Brent Suter are the deadline arms. The six-man look is extra rest for Sale and Bryce Elder (knee) and a man short in the pen — Weiss already said that’s not sustainable. Thursday’s bullpen (Fuentes-Lee-Iglesias) is the version you need if Holmes and Sale are going six.

Sunday is ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Little League Classic. Then the Dodgers at Truist. Holmes said it himself: they needed Thursday going into Milwaukee.

Bird Gang bottom line

The deadline piece was about not buying an ace. Sale still has to be the ace, and Holmes just reminded everybody the rest of the staff can steal a night. If Atlanta takes this Brewers series, the NL East lead stops being a talking point and starts being a cushion. If Misiorowski shuts them down Friday, Thursday was just a White Sox palate cleanser.

Play Pick'em Baby