Baltimore Orioles vs Atlanta Braves Picks and Predictions July 24th 2026

Grant Holmes, Braves carry effective form into opener vs. Orioles

The Atlanta Braves made it through a good week since the All-Star break, but there is no letup for them in this stretch of the season.

They face the Orioles on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Baltimore.

“A stretch of 17 straight (days with games) when you’re trying to protect your bullpen,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said of the situation facing his team.

The Braves have won five of seven games since the break, including a 6-5 triumph over the visiting Padres on Thursday afternoon when Atlanta hit four home runs. Atlanta took three out of four against San Diego.

“That’s a great series win,” Weiss said. “We’ve had different guys contributing again.”

The Orioles had won seven straight before dropping the first two games of their series in Boston this week. However, Baltimore got back on track with a 5-1 victory in the second game of a Wednesday doubleheader, snapping the Red Sox’s franchise-record-tying 15-game winning streak.

Every game seems huge for the Orioles, who had Thursday off, as they try to stay in playoff contention. Baltimore sits three games back of the final AL wild-card spot.

“We’re trying to win every game we play,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. “There’s still a lot of season left.”

Gunnar Henderson had four extra-base hits across the three games in Boston. His batting average is up to .225, so it’s another potential turning point for one of the key components of Baltimore’s offense.

“The approach was outstanding, being able to drive the ball the opposite way against a lefty,” Albernaz said of Henderson hitting a triple off Boston’s Jovani Moran in the Wednesday nightcap. “Like we’ve always talked about, he has always been close to getting the results, and it’s good to see him get the results.”

Albernaz said removing outfielder Tyler O’Neill midgame in that contest wasn’t related to an injury. O’Neill played the doubleheader opener, and with Baltimore ahead in the second game, the situation provided a chance to insert defensive whiz Colton Cowser into center field for the late innings.

The Orioles return home with makeshift options at catcher after Samuel Basallo went on the injured list Wednesday due to right shoulder inflammation. Adley Rutschman landed on the IL earlier in the week because of an ailing left wrist.

Those developments leave the Orioles with Sam Huff and Chadwick Tromp as their catchers.

Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.28 ERA) heads to the mound for the Orioles on Friday. He has won his past three decisions, but he is coming off a pair of no-decisions despite allowing a total of two runs across 12 1/3 innings in matchups vs. the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros.

The 28-year-old left-hander has given up no more than two runs in each of his past six starts.

Rogers is 1-7 with a 4.81 ERA in 10 all-time starts against Atlanta, with all except one of those outings coming as National League East clashes when he pitched for the Miami Marlins. For the Orioles, he blanked the Braves for 6 2/3 innings last July.

Right-hander Grant Holmes (6-4, 3.70) will start for the Braves, looking to add to a strong stretch. In his past five starts, he is 2-1 with a 1.90 ERA. In his only career matchup with the Orioles, Holmes took a loss while yielding two runs in six innings last July.

The Braves are making their first road trip since the All-Star break. They will visit the New York Mets for three games after the weekend set in Baltimore.

–Field Level Media