DENVER — Lifted by first baseman Matt Olson’s grand slam in the third inning and two-run go-ahead shot in the seventh, the Braves (61-55) put an end to their six-game losing streak in an 11-8 win over the Rockies Saturday night at Coors Field.
Here are five observations on the game:
1. The Braves’ victorious effort against the Rockies was not pretty, and it was hardly reflective of a matchup between a team in playoff contention and another at the bottom of the standings. But more importantly, the Braves found the win column and ended the longest skid in the National League.
The pitching requires improvement: starter Max Fried struggled in the early innings with five runs through three frames and reliever Aaron Bummer squandered a three-run lead in the sixth inning. Still, the Braves responded well to adversity throughout the evening and overwhelmed Colorado’s pitching. The Braves’ bullpen didn’t allow the Rockies to respond late, closing the game with a single hit and no runs across the last three innings.
“That could have been a big here we go again type thing,” manager Brian Snitker said. “These guys have played here long enough to know these games are never over until they’re over. Anything can happen.”
2. The Braves’ bats improved over the course of the week, though the outcomes of the games themselves did not reflect those gains. Despite scoring at least five runs in each of the three games preceding Saturday’s matchup, the Braves failed to convert those performances into a single win. The stretch marked the first time since 2015 that the Braves have lost three games in a row in which they scored at least five runs.
The lineup continued to prey on the Rockies’ pitching on Saturday. Olson launched a moonshot to right field for the Braves’ second grand slam of the season to give them the lead in the third inning, then smacked another beyond the wall to break a seventh-inning tie and give the Braves the lead for good.
“Honestly, I just wanted to pull the ball,” Olson said. “With (designated hitter Marcell Ozuna) hitting the leadoff double, tie game at that point, I just had to get him to third base. I was able to kind of lift the change-up a little bit.”
Olson’s six RBIs set a career best, but he wasn’t the only Braves hitter with a hot bat. Ozuna hit a home run for the third night in a row and added a double off the right field wall in the seventh, while right fielder Jorge Soler notched three hits, three RBIs and a solo homer.
3. In a season characterized by injuries in the outfield, the Braves endured another scare when Ramón Laureano left the game in the fourth inning with right heel soreness. Adam Duvall pinch hit for him and took Jarred Kelenic’s spot in left field for the rest of the game, while Kelenic assumed center field.
Snitker said Laureano pushed to remain in the game after the injury, but Snitker opted to take a more cautious approach and send in Duvall as a pinch hitter and replacement.
“After the one play, I just saw him limping back to the outfield and it’s not OK,” Snitker said. “He’s one of (those) guys, man, I’ve got to kind of put my eyes on him because he’s a gamer — he wants to keep playing. He’s a tough kid.”
4. Both teams struggled to limit the opposing lineup, and while pitching was an obvious culprit, the Braves and Rockies each had rough moments in the field.
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the third inning, Fried needed an out to finish the inning and maintain the Braves’ 5-3 lead. He appeared to get just that when Rockies left fielder Sam Hilliard popped up a fly ball just beyond the infield, but the Braves’ defense faltered and allowed the inning to continue. Second baseman Whit Merrifield and three of his teammates converged on the ball, and Merrifield attempted to call off the other fielders and end the inning himself. Instead, Merrifield lost his footing in the outfield grass, and the ball hit the grass and allowed the Rockies to tie the game.
Three innings later, the Rockies mishandled an almost identical situation, this time with Merrifield at the plate. Colorado right fielder Hunter Goodman couldn’t corral Merrifield’s two-out line drive as it deflected off his glove, extending the inning with two runners on base. Soler took advantage by knocking in two runs on a single and opened the Braves’ lead to 8-5.
5. The Braves have captured one series victory in six opportunities since the All-Star break, and Sunday’s finale will provide them the opportunity to turn a critical series in their favor. Rookie pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach will make his Coors Field debut and aim to improve on the Braves’ pitching performance through the first two games of the series, while the lineup will look to continue its upward trend.
With the Braves on the periphery of the last NL wild-card spot, Sunday’s matinee will give them the chance to close out one of their weaker opponents and set the tone for the rest of their road trip.
“Any time you go through a little bit of a rut, to be able to come through and have a good, hard-fought win where you come back and are really able to fight and battle … it’s awesome,” Fried said. “These guys have been working extremely hard all year and it’s nice to see that pay off, and hopefully it’s the right step in the direction of many more wins.”
Stat to know
7 - The Braves avoided what would have been their first seven-game losing streak since Aug. 13-20, 2016.
Quotable
“It’s been a rough stretch for us. (Tonight) was a good, hard-fought win to be able to continue to put some runs up.” - first baseman Matt Olson on the Braves’ win
Up next
Spencer Schwellenbach will take the mound for the Braves against the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland on Sunday. First pitch is set for 3:10 p.m.
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