September 5th 2024.
On Wednesday, Rockies fans didn't even have to watch past the first inning to see how the second game of the series against the Braves in Atlanta would turn out. Unfortunately, it wasn't in their favor as Colorado went down 4-0 in the opening frame, resulting in a disappointing 5-2 loss. The team struggled, striking out 16 times and ultimately clinching the series for the Braves. This brought the Rockies' record down to 51-89, a tough blow for the team.
Manager Bud Black acknowledged the team's tendency to strike out, especially with the number of young players on the roster. He emphasized the need for improvement and for the young players to focus on cutting down on their strikeouts in future games. The Braves wasted no time getting on the board, causing chaos with two outs in the first inning. Rookie right-hander Bradley Blalock retired the first two batters, but then Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson hit back-to-back doubles, quickly putting the Braves up 2-0. A walk to Travis d'Arnaud followed by Jarred Kelenic's three-run homer sealed the deal and made it 4-0.
The Rockies didn't let this early deficit stop them, as they responded in the top of the next inning with a walk from Nolan Jones and a triple from Sam Hilliard, bringing Jones home. Charlie Blackmon's double then brought Hilliard home, cutting the deficit to 4-2. However, both starters, Blalock and Charlie Morton, were able to hold off any further damage for the remainder of their five innings.
Blalock showed resilience, working around multiple walks and keeping the Braves from scoring in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings. Meanwhile, the Rockies had opportunities to score in Morton's final three innings, but were unable to capitalize. With the game now in the hands of the bullpens, the Rockies' bullpen was the first to crack, allowing an RBI single from Jorge Soler in the sixth, extending the Braves' lead to 5-2.
The Braves' bullpen, led by former Rockies pitcher Pierce Johnson, was able to hold off Colorado's offense for the remainder of the game. Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias also contributed with solid performances in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Iglesias, in particular, extended his MLB-best active scoreless streak to 23 1/3 innings, securing his 30th save of the season.
The Braves have proven to be a tough opponent when leading after the seventh inning, with a record of 61-3 in such situations. On the other hand, the Rockies have struggled in this series, accumulating a total of 29 strikeouts in just two games. Their offense also only managed one hit in the final seven innings of Wednesday's game.
In other news, there was some controversy in the series opener when rookie right-hander Jeff Criswell accidentally hit the Braves' Whit Merrifield in the head with a pitch. Criswell expressed regret for the incident, stating that it was not intentional and that he had reached out to apologize to Merrifield. The hit-by-pitch was just one example of the increased velocity in today's game, with pitchers throwing faster than ever before and resulting in a rise in the number of hit batters.
Merrifield, who was luckily not seriously injured, spoke out about the issue, criticizing the lack of remorse from pitchers when it comes to throwing up and in. He believes that pitchers are throwing as hard as they can without considering where the ball might end up. This is a growing concern, as the number of hit batters has increased drastically over the years. In fact, in 2024 alone, 1,767 batters have been hit by pitches, with the number expected to continue rising. In Wednesday's game, the Rockies added to this statistic when Seth Halvorsen hit Eli White with a 100 mph fastball in the eighth inning.
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