Overworking your bullpen doesn’t taste nearly as bad when your team manages to gut out a win. Thanks in large part to the combined three homers and nine RBI from Anthony Volpe and Trent Grisham, the Yankees have done just that. For Volpe in particular, it’ll be interesting to see how he follows up that multi-homer performance—the first of his career—after getting just one in his last 22 games.
Back to the pitching side of things, though, the Yankees have the concerning outlook of needing to rely on Marcus
Stroman for a lengthy outing. New York used four of their most important relievers on Saturday, all for 20+ pitches, in a comeback win over the Braves to set up a rubber match.
Stroman’s task looms large when you account for the Braves' offensive performance in this series, averaging eight runs in the two games against the Yankees, this after their lineup’s first three hitters went 1 for 12 in the last game. Facing the Mariners in his last start, Stroman topped out at 90 pitches to cover five innings of two-run ball against a Seattle offense that’s been far better than advertised this season.
The need for a long performance from its starter isn’t exclusive to the Yankees in this game; Atlanta has also had to overwork its bullpen. The Braves will surely require length from Grant Holmes, a former top prospect who, at 29 years of age, is finding success in his first full season as a starting pitcher in the bigs. The former Dodger and Athletic farmhand got lit up by the Cardinals before the All-Star break but still has solid numbers this year, with a 109 ERA+ and 26.1-percent K rate in 2025.
With the matinee today after the night game, Ben Rice steps in behind the plate for Austin Wells. Jorbit Vivas tags back in at the hot corner, hoping for a better start than Friday. Grisham got the go-ahead grand slam last night but he drew the short straw in the outfield rotation, with Jasson Domínguez, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge lining up left to right with Giancarlo Stanton at DH and Paul Goldschmidt at first.
How to Watch:
Location: Truist Park — Atlanta, GA
First Pitch: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV broadcast: YES, FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, LaMejor 1600/1400/1130 AM
Online stream: YES App, MLB.tv
For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
Sunday Series Finale. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/c0HYF3IrVu
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 20, 2025
Series finale.#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/BKzVd1uJTN
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 20, 2025
More from pinstripealley.com:
- Yankees 12, Braves 9: Grisham's go-ahead slam caps thrilling comeback
- Yankees 2025 draft tracker: Top pick Kilby, 17 others sign thus far
- Sequence of the Week: Carlos Rodón (All-Star Game)
- Yankees Trade Deadline Coverage
- The hitting genius of Aaron Judge
- Pinstripe Alley’s Top 100 Yankees
- 2000 Yankees Diary: The 25th Anniversary of MLB’s Last Three-peat
