Chris Paddack Is 0-6, But One Stat Tells You Why Atlanta Should Still Sweat

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Alright, you wanna talk about a squad that's absolutely tearing it up? The Atlanta Braves, after a rough 86-loss campaign last year, are playing a brand of baseball in 2026 that's got the league on notice. We're more than a third of the way through the season, and these guys are straight-up historic! They roll into Cincinnati with the best record in all of MLB at 38-19, having already snatched up 15 series wins through 57 games. That's the second-most in their franchise's history. Only their 1897 Boston club had more, with 16. Talk about a comeback year, huh?

Atlanta's Machine Rolls On, But Can Holmes Buck the Trend?

This Braves team is a hitting machine, leading the majors in RBIs with 293 and hits with 507. They just dropped a 10-2 bomb on the Boston Red Sox, securing a series win and marking their fifth double-digit scoring frenzy of the year. Ronald Acuna Jr. went yard with a grand slam, and Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies got in on the long ball action too. Tonight, they're sending Grant Holmes (3-2, 3.78 ERA) to the mound for his 11th start. Holmes was a strikeout machine in his last outing, punching out 10 batters over five innings against the Nationals, giving up just two runs. Still, they took a 2-0 loss, and manager Walt Weiss was philosophical, saying, "I thought Grant did a nice job. Certainly, we'll take that every time, giving up two solo homers and that's it. You walk two guys and punch out 10 and lose, it was just a weird one." Here's the kicker though: Holmes is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA in four career appearances against these same Reds. Hmm, a potential speed bump?

Paddack's Rocky Road Meets a Surprise Flashback

Now, let's talk about the other side. The Cincinnati Reds have actually turned a corner recently, winning five of their last seven after a seriously brutal May where they dropped 13 of 17. Tonight, they're hoping to grab their first home series win against the Braves since way back in April 2019, and they're rolling out Chris Paddack (0-6, 6.86 ERA) to do it. Yeah, you read that right, 0-6. The dude was even released by the Marlins on May 10, but since joining the Reds, his ERA has trimmed down to a slightly more respectable 4.50 in his two starts. Last time out, he gave up three runs over five innings, with five strikeouts and three walks in an 8-1 loss to the Cardinals. Reds manager Terry Francona sees some light, saying, "I think what he's showing is that there's something to like there. It was just that a couple of times, he got ahead 0-2 and left pitches that had way too much of the plate." Paddack, an eighth-year veteran already on his fourth team since the start of last season, is looking for a career revival, admitting, "It's frustrating, being 0-6, still searching for that first win. Mentally it can be draining, but the coaches are patting me on the back, the players are there for me. I believe in myself." But here's the wild part, the stat that makes this matchup so spicy: Paddack is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five career appearances, four starts, against the Braves! He even held them to two runs in 4 2/3 innings back on April 15 with the Marlins. He knows how to pitch against these guys!

So, here we are: an unstoppable Braves juggernaut, a struggling Reds team on a mini-hot streak, and a pitcher who's 0-6 but secretly owns the Braves. Tonight's game isn't just another notch on the schedule. It's about Paddack finding that first W, it's about the Reds proving their recent run isn't a fluke, and it's about the Braves extending their historic pace against a guy who, for some reason, always gives them fits. You gotta watch this one, Emerald City, because anything can happen when history and personal redemption are on the line!

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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.