The Atlanta Braves are currently one of both the best and hottest teams in baseball, and the Colorado Rockies couldn’t stand in their way. The Braves came into Coors Field and successfully swept the Rockies in three games, winning the Sunday series finale 11-6 as their excellent offense took advantage of basically every mistake and opportunity afforded to them.
Rockies pitching faltered against potent Braves bats
Despite striking out a season-high seven batters, Kyle Freeland struggled against a potent Braves offense in his second outing since returning
from the injured list.
It was two innings in particular that sunk him.
Freeland gave up a leadoff double to Matt Olson in the top of the second. He turned around and struck out the next two batters only to yield back-to-back home runs off the bats of Jonah Heim and Jorge Mateo.
The next two innings were fairly uneventful. The Rockies even took a temporary lead. When the fifth rolled around, everything fell apart. Freeland struck out the leadoff batter, but it would be the only out he recorded during the inning.
Three walks and two singles later, the Braves had retaken the lead and Freeland was pulled. He threw a season high 98 pitches over 4.1 innings of work.
However, the book was not yet closed on Freeland. Antonio Senzatela entered the game with the bases loaded and the unenviable task of recording two outs. The Braves scored once more on a sacrifice fly, and Freeland’s line for the day was officially six runs on eight hits with three walks.
Senzatela himself wasn’t as sharp as we have become accustomed to. In his next two innings of work, he gave up an additional two earned runs on three hits and a walk. He struggled to locate his pitches and recorded only one strikeout. Before this afternoon, Senzatela had given up just one earned run.
Victor Vodnik had a much-needed solid outing in the top of the eighth. He didn’t allow any hits and recorded a strikeout. He did walk Braves batter Mauricio Dubón, but then picked him off to help him set the side down in order.
Jimmy Herget took the mound for the ninth inning and recorded two quick outs via the fly ball after walking leadoff batter Ozzie Albies, only for the inning to get out of hand. He ended up laboring through 28 pitches as he gave up three straight hits—two singles and a double—for the Braves to score three more runs and see the game slip even further away.
The Braves are currently one of the best offenses in baseball, and overall they scored 11 runs on 14 hits and six walks this afternoon (they scored 28 total runs in three games).
Rockies offense couldn’t keep up, continue to miss out on opportunities to score
The Rockies offense wasn’t even that absent against the Braves this afternoon. They scored six runs on 11 hits and drew six walks of their own. The problem is that they continue not to capitalize on opportunities to score.
The Rockies were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine baserunners stranded. It simply wasn’t enough to keep up.
The Rockies actually opened up the scoring in the first inning. After Edouard Julien drew a leadoff walk against Braves starter Spencer Strider—and stole second—he was driven in by TJ Rumfield on a single. Rumfield would plate the Rockies’ second run in the third inning with a solo home run—his fourth of the season.
Mickey Moniak gave the Rockies a brief lead in the fourth with a two-run home run, and even hit another in the eighth to help keep the game within reach… before the Braves pulled further ahead in the ninth inning.
Moniak’s first home run was against a left-handed pitcher. He has just two hits against lefties so far this season in 17 at-bats, and both of them are home runs. His second home run was his 11th of the season and tied him with Olson and Kyle Schwarber for the National League lead.
Rumfield, Willi Castro, and Troy Johnston all had multi-hit afternoons against Braves pitching. Unfortunately, Johnston’s second hit of the game—a single in the ninth inning—came with a brutal baserunning mistake that saw him thrown out at home and helped to expedite the Rockies’ defeat.
Julien and Hunter Goodman had particularly rough days at the office, both going hitless. After his walk to start the game, Julien struck out four times in four at-bats. Goodman went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.
Coming Up Next
The Rockies welcome the struggling New York Mets to Denver on Monday as both teams seek to right the ship. Tomoyuki Sugano will be on the bump for the Rockies, while the Mets have yet to announce their starting pitcher. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM MDT.
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