These are the games that try pitchers’ souls. And fatten batters’ resumes.
In a wild Saturday night game at Coors Field in front of 46,169 fans –many of them ardent Braves rooters — the Rockies lost an 11-8 slugfest.
The Rockies got a great night from left fielder Sam Hilliard, who hit 3 for 5 with a three-run homer and drove in five runs.
But Atlanta got a better night from veteran first baseman Matt Olson who hit a grand slam and two-run home en route to a career-high six RBIs. The Braves hit four homers to put breaks on their six-game losing streak.
Every time the Rockies got back into the game, Atlanta hitters burned Rockies pitchers. Case in point: a two-run double by Ezequiel Tovar and an RBI single by Brenton Doyle tied the game, 8-8, in the sixth.
But Angel Chivilli, who replaced erratic reliever Riley Pint, got into immediate trouble in the seventh. Marcell Ozuna led off with a double and Olson launched his two-run homer for a 10-8 Atlanta lead.
The Braves added another run in the eighth on Jorge Soler’s two-out homer off Anthony Molina.
Atlanta starter Max Fried managed to stick around for five innings, giving up five runs on seven hits. He walked three but also fanned nine.
The Rockies loaded the bases against Fried with one out in the first inning but couldn’t score. Fried struck out Kris Bryant and Elias Diaz to snuff out the rally. Bryant went 0 for 4 and struck out three times. He’s hitting .218 and his strikeout percentage climbed to 31.2%.
All told, the Rockies whiffed 14 times, led by third baseman Ryan McMahon, who struck out four times.
Hilliard jumpstarted Colorado’s offense in the second. Michael Toglia and Hunter Goodman opened with singles and Hilliard drove them home with a 411-foot homer to right.
Hilliard delivered in the third, too, though not as definitively. Fried walked Diaz and Toglia before Hilliard blooped a two-run double into shallow center, where four Atlanta players congregated, but none made the catch. Hilliard’s double tied the game, 5-5.
It was another nightmare on Blake Street for Rockies right-hander Dakota Hudson.
With Ryan Feltner on the injured list, Hudson was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start. Double plays in the first and second innings got Hudson out of trouble, but the third inning was frightful.
Hudson walked three, including Austin Riley with the bases full to force in a run. When Hudson struck out the dangerous Marcell Ozuna for the second out, it looked like Hudson might tiptoe out of danger. But Olson worked a six-pitch at-bat and ultimately skied Hudson’s 3-2 slider off the third-deck facade above right field.
In 10 starts at Coors this season, Hudson is 0-6 with a 8.79 ERA. He’s served up eight homers in 43 innings. It’s been a different story on the road, where Hudson is 2-6 with a 3.72 ERA and three homers given up over 46 innings.
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (4-5, 4.04 ERA) at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (3-5, 5.65)
1:10 p.m. Sunday, Coors Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 630 AM
Freeland was iffy about making Sunday’s start after developing a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand in his last Tuesday’s game against the Mets. He departed the game in the fifth inning after allowing three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. However, Freeland’s finger responded to treatment and he remained on schedule. Since being reinstated from the injured list (elbow strain) on July 5, the lefty has been solid, going 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA in eight starts, including six quality starts. Freeland is 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in five starts at Coors Field this season, serving up just one home run. But the Braves have taken it to Freeland. He’s 1-4 with a 6.26 ERA in eight career starts against them.
The Braves considered pushing back Schwellenbach as they look to limit his innings during his rookie season. He’s already pitched 64 2/3 innings in the majors, and if you add his workload in the minors, he’s already at 109 2/3 innings. Last season, he logged only 65 innings. Schwellenbach last pitched on Aug. 2 in the Braves’ 5-3 win over the Marlins. He pitched seven innings, striking out 10 and walking none. He gave up three runs on six hits, including two homers. He’s never faced the Rockies.
Pitching probables
Monday: Rockies TBA at Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (6-6, 3.92), 7:40 p.m.
Tuesday: Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (3-8, 4.92) at Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 4.76), 7:40 p.m..
