The Braves opened their homestand with a dud Tuesday, losing 3-2 to the lowly Rockies to begin a three-game series. It was the Braves’ third consecutive loss.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
1. The offense had opportunities but couldn’t capitalize. The Braves went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position - one game after going 1-for-6 in that category during the finale in St. Louis - and stranded 10 baserunners. They had at least one baserunner in seven of nine innings Tuesday.
“Just couldn’t get anything going, get a big hit, get the line moving at all,” manager Brian Snitker said. They produced two runs on six hits against old nemesis Jose Urena over the first five innings but were stifled against an underappreciated Rockies bullpen. Three relievers held the Braves to one hit over the final four innings.
The Braves have scored five runs across their last two games after scoring 16 combined over the previous two. The always-wise Snitker: “That’s baseball.”
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
2. It wasn’t Braves’ ace Max Fried’s finest evening. He labored far more than usual, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits across five innings. It came following one of his best outings of the year five days ago, when he held the Pirates to one run over eight innings.
In his final frame, Fried made a costly error – a rarity for the Gold Glover, it was only his seventh of his career – trying to field a dribbler struck by Jose Iglesias. He couldn’t cleanly recover the ball, which gave the Rockies the bases loaded with none out. Only one run scored, but it was the deciding one.
“I was definitely grinding out there,” Fried said. “Tonight, I wasn’t all that sharp. More frustrating that the guys came out, gave us a lead early and I gave it up. Then fielding PFP (pitchers’ fielding practice), something I do all the time, and I wasn’t able to get it done and it led to a run that ended up costing the game. When you look back at that, it’s more of the little things that help win you ballgames that I didn’t really do well tonight.”
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
3. Fried lost his streak of six consecutive quality starts (six innings, three or fewer runs). Tuesday was just the third time in his last 23 starts that Fried failed to complete six innings. The lefty has been a model of consistency. His 19 quality starts are still the second-highest total in the majors (trailing Framber Valdez, 22).
4. Shortstop Dansby Swanson was productive early in the evening. His double off the wall scored Vaughn Grissom for the Braves’ first run. His dart throw home robbed the Rockies of a run to end the top of the third.
The defensive gem was a brilliant all-around play. Left fielder Eddie Rosario fielded the ball hit by Iglesias and relayed to Swanson, who fired a perfect throw to catcher Travis d’Arnaud. The catcher just tagged Garrett Hampson’s hand as he was sliding into home.
“That was as good as it gets right there,” Snitker said.
5. The Braves fell to 17-10 this month, preventing them from achieving three consecutive months without double-digit losses for the first time since July-September 1993. The Braves needed to win Tuesday and Wednesday to achieve such.
Stat to know
60-9 (The Braves fell to 60-9 when holding the opponent to three or fewer runs.)
Quotable
“That was Dansby doing what he does all the time. Every night there’s something that he does that’s like, ‘wow.’” – Snitker on Swanson’s throw home
Up next
The Braves and Rockies play their second of three games Wednesday. Kyle Wright (16-5, 2.99) will face Ryan Feltner (2-5, 5.87).
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