​The Pittsburgh Pirates are back in action as they prepare to face the Atlanta Braves in the second installment of their annual series at PNC Park. Grant Holmes will get the ball for Atlanta, aiming to carry his recent momentum into this matchup. Holmes is coming off a solid outing against the New York Mets on July 3, where he worked five innings, allowed five hits, and yielded just one earned run in a 5-3 win for the Braves. That victory snapped a four-game skid and marked Holmes’ first win in a month, a boost for Atlanta as they continue their push in the NL East.
On the Pittsburgh side, the Pirates will hand the ball to Jared Jones for the eighth time this season. This marks Jones’s first start since July 2, when he took the mound at Citizens Bank Park against the Philadelphia Phillies. In that start, Jones delivered four innings of work, giving up only two hits and one earned run, though he didn’t factor into the decision as the game progressed without a clear winner or loser due to the later outcomes. Jones’s path to this point has been guided by a gradual return from Tommy John surgery, which kept him off the mound for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. As a result, he has only reached five innings in one of his seven starts this season, a June 4 tilt versus the Houston Astros that ended in a 5-1 Pirates victory.
Despite the limited workload, Jones has helped the Pirates post a favorable record in his starts, going 5-2 in games he has begun. That success gives Pittsburgh reason for optimism entering tonight’s contest with the Braves, who hold the top spot in the NL East with just over a week remaining before the All-Star break. The matchup sets up as a pitching duel: Grant Holmes (5-4, 3.83 ERA) against Jared Jones (1-1, 5.28 ERA), with both clubs aiming to gain ground in the tight standings and set the tone for the second half of the season.
Details you need to know for tonight: location is PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Television and radio coverage will come via KDKA AM/FM and Sportsnet Pittsburgh. As these teams battle for division leverage and head into the All-Star break, every inning will matter, especially as Jones looks to build on his limited innings workload this season and Holmes continues to translate recent success into a strong performance against Pittsburgh’s National League rival.
If you’re following along in the BD community, share your thoughts in the comments about how these two arms stack up, what adjustments could tilt the game, and how Pittsburgh’s lineup might approach Holmes on the hill. This is a pivotal series for both sides as they navigate the final stretch before the break, with fans hoping for exciting baseball at PNC Park and a performance that could influence playoff positioning as the season progresses.