ATLANTA -- Bryce Elder has had a tough month-plus after one of the best starts to a season in his career.
Through his first 11 starts in 2026, Elder posted a 1.97 ERA over 68 2/3 innings, had a 4-2 record and the Braves held a 7-4 record in his starts.
In his five starts since, including Sunday’s 9-4 loss to the Brewers at Truist Park, Elder has posted a 7.70 ERA (19 earned runs over 22 2/3 innings) with five home runs and eight walks.
The second inning of Sunday’s contest encapsulated Elder’s recent struggles as he gave up all eight of his runs in the frame. Elder’s final line was eight runs on 12 hits with six strikeouts and two walks over six innings.
“I thought [the Brewers] did a heck of a job of waiting me out and putting good swings on stuff,” Elder said. “Even early in counts they [took] a hit that the pitch allowed them to have. Hats off to them. I did not pitch [well], but it sure didn’t feel like eight runs. I was kind of pleased with getting to the sixth [inning], but I have to be better in the second to get out of that.”
It was the most earned runs Elder has been charged with in a start since he gave up eight runs in an 11-10 win over the White Sox on Aug. 19, 2025.
“Kind of a strange game for Bryce,” said manager Walt Weiss. “I thought his stuff was good. In the second inning, he didn’t get away with anything. They didn’t miss any mistakes. It’s just a really strange inning. I think you can see from the [strikeouts]. He got a lot of strikeouts looking. It’s just a weird second inning.”
The right-handed sinkerballer had just a 9% whiff rate (1-of-11) on his sinker, and the Brewers tallied three hits with an average exit velocity of 94.9 mph off the pitch. Against Elder’s slider, Milwaukee had 25% whiff rate (3-of-12) but tallied five hits with an average exit velocity of 92.2 mph.
Former Brave William Contreras feasted on Elder's aforementioned pitches in the second. Contreras produced a leadoff single against Elder’s slider (101.6 mph) and he capped the 8-run inning with a 3-run home run off an inside sinker that he hit a Statcast-projected 109.5 mph and 408 feet.
“Other than the pitch to Contreras, a couple of sliders were up,” Elder said. “I sure didn’t think it was eight runs bad. Maybe three or four, but I guess that’s part of it. You try and figure this game out and you’re never going to so you might as well stay at it.”
There certainly could have been worse outcomes for a Braves club that begins a six-game West Coast road trip on Monday. Though the Braves were down 8-1 in the second inning, Elder managed to save the bullpen by getting through six innings.
Atlanta used just two pitchers as reliever Reynaldo López tallied three innings of relief in which he gave up an unearned run.
“It’s huge, that’s always big,” Weiss said. “Especially in a game like that. You don’t want to blow through the bullpen. Other than the second inning he was really good. He ends up going six. Lopez did a great job coming in and going three innings and finishing that game. He hasn’t been in that territory in a long time.”
Weiss has no reason for long-term concern with Elder after two starts in a row in which Elder gave up six or more runs. Elder gave up six runs over four innings on June 14 against the Mets.
“At times over the course of the season, there’s some fatigue and some dead-arm periods,” Weiss said. “I don’t know if that's the case recently but I do think that can be a factor over the course of the season. I think the ball was coming out a lot better today than it was in New York.”
Perhaps Elder will get another chance to face the NL-Central leading Brewers with the NL East-leading Braves when the teams meet again for a three-game series in August.
“They’re just patient and they know what they’re looking for and if they get it, they put a good swing on it,” Elder said of the Brewers. “Whatever happens after that, happens. It’s a tough team to face and I think we’re going to [play] them later this year and hopefully get another crack at them.”