Rockies take momentum to Atlanta in big win over Braves

The Colorado Rockies took the winning ways from the most recent homestand out on the road for at least the first game in Atlanta, once again playing by the formula that has them digging out of the early-season hole.

The offense kept it going, scoring eight runs on 12 hits and getting contribution up and down the lineup, most especially from their two best hitters, backing up another strong pitching performance.

Antonio Senzatela continues to be solid at the very least in his third game back from beginning the season on the IL. He didn’t dominate by any means but never allowed the Braves to build any offensive momentum, coming just one out shy of a quality start.

The Braves took the lead with their first two hitters of the game. As it so often does, a leadoff walk came back to bite the starting pitcher when Senzatela lost an eight-pitch battle with Ozzie Albies, issuing the free pass. Josh Donaldson made him pay for it right away by lining a double to left, scoring the first run of the game.

Senzatela locked it in over the next few innings but through three, the Rockies had no answer for Max Fried at the plate. That changed in the span of two pitches when Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado launched back-to-back home run to give the Rockies a sudden lead.

That gave Story six and Arenado five home runs on the year.

But the Braves tied it up right away with some good hitting and some good fortune in the bottom of the fourth.

Nick Markakis led off with a hard line drive ground-rule double to left and moved to third on a Tyler Flowers single back up the middle. Senzatela made a great pitch to Ender Inciarte in the ensuing at-bat, breaking his bat but suffering a flare single to center that tied the game a two runs apiece. He struck out Fried and got Albies to ground out to leave it at that.

The game remained a stalemate until the top of the sixth when the game of one-upsmanship continued between Story and Arenado, this time doubling on consecutive pitches to again give the Rockies the lead at 3-2.

Both times, the Rockies’ MVP candidates from a year ago did their damage on consecutive pitches.

Daniel Murphy then got in on the act, hitting his second double of the game (and his first two of the season) to make it 4-2, Colorado.

Again the Braves answered right back when Flowers leaned on a center-cut fastball and hit a solo blast to left field. Senzatela had done well to induce a double play just before the homer, which turned out to be huge as the Rockies held onto a lead.

Colorado added a run in the seventh when backup catcher Drew Butera led off with a double to left and scored on a Charlie Blackmon single to right.

The 5-3 advantage nearly disappeared but Ian Desmond raced to the track and stole a potential two-run home run from Donaldson in the bottom of the seventh, bailing out reliever Seunghwan Oh.

The Rockies went insurance shopping in the eighth. Murphy got things started with his third hit of the game, a single to right. David Dahl then reached when Donaldson fumbled his bunt down the line and Desmond was credited with a single on a hard grounder off the pitcher Jesse Biddle who was unable to recover and throw to first in time.

With the bases loaded and still nobody out, Ryan McMahon served a single to center field, scoring a pair of runs to give his club some breathing room. Colorado followed that good piece of hitting with a little small ball when Butera got down a sac bunt, moving Desmond to third and McMahon to second.

The move paid off when pinch-hitter Mark Reynolds pulled one to third that Desmond got a great jump on, scoring the eighth run for Colorado as Reynolds was thrown out at first.

Scott Oberg worked a clean bottom of the eighth with three groundouts.

Chad Bettis came on in the ninth and gave up yet another home run to Flowers who was determined to have a big night.

He bounced back to get Inciarte to ground out and struck out Dansby Swanson but Albies kept the game alive for the Braves with an infield single up the middle. On his next pitch, Bettis plunked Donaldson on a fastball that ran inside, forcing Bud Black to go to his closer in another game where he would likely have preferred to stay away from him.

Wade Davis came on and struck out perennial All-Star Freddie Freeman on six pitches to end the game, securing the 8-4 win and earning his fourth save.

The Rockies are now 9-2 over their last 11 games.

Stats

Antonio Senzatela: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Carlos Estevez: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Seunghwan Oh: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Scott Oberg: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Chad Bettis: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Wade Davis: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (S: 4)

Nolan Arenado: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI (HR: 5)

Daniel Murphy: 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI

Trevor Story: 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI (HR: 6)

Ryan McMahon: 1-for-4, 2 RBI

What’s Next

The second game of the series features a matchup between two hard-throwing righties in Jon Gray and Mike Foltynewicz, who is making his season debut. First pitch at 5:20 Mountain Time.