August 11th 2024.
Saturday night's game at Coors Field was a wild one, with the Braves ultimately coming out on top in an 11-8 slugfest. It was a packed house, with 46,169 fans in attendance, many of whom were rooting for the Braves.
The Rockies had a standout performer in left fielder Sam Hilliard, who went 3 for 5 with a three-run homer and five RBIs. However, the Braves had an even better night from veteran first baseman Matt Olson, who hit a grand slam and a two-run homer, totaling six RBIs. The Braves hit four homers in total, putting an end to their six-game losing streak.
No matter how hard the Rockies fought to get back in the game, the Braves' hitters always seemed to find a way to burn the Rockies' pitchers. For example, a two-run double by Ezequiel Tovar and an RBI single by Brenton Doyle tied the game at 8-8 in the sixth inning. But then in the seventh, Angel Chivilli, who had replaced the erratic Riley Pint, got into immediate trouble. He gave up a double to Marcell Ozuna, followed by a two-run homer from Olson, giving the Braves a 10-8 lead.
The Braves added another run in the eighth on Jorge Soler's two-out homer off of Anthony Molina. Meanwhile, Atlanta's starter Max Fried managed to stay in the game for five innings, giving up five runs on seven hits. He had three walks and nine strikeouts.
The Rockies had a chance to score early in the game, loading the bases against Fried in the first inning. However, Fried managed to strike out Kris Bryant and Elias Diaz, ending the rally. Bryant had a tough night, going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. His batting average dropped to .218, and his strikeout percentage increased to 31.2%.
Overall, the Rockies struck out 14 times, with third baseman Ryan McMahon striking out four times. Hilliard got the Rockies' offense going in the second inning with a 411-foot homer to right, driving in two runs. He continued to deliver in the third inning, hitting a two-run double that tied the game at 5-5.
Unfortunately, it was another rough outing for the Rockies' pitcher Dakota Hudson, who was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start due to Ryan Feltner's injury. Hudson managed to get out of trouble in the first two innings thanks to double plays, but the third inning was a different story. He walked three batters, including Austin Riley with the bases loaded, which brought in a run. Hudson then struck out Marcell Ozuna, but Olson was able to hit a two-run homer, extending the Braves' lead.
Hudson's struggles at Coors Field continued, as he has yet to win a game there this season with an 8.79 ERA in 10 starts. On the road, however, he has a 3.72 ERA in eight starts. The Rockies will have Kyle Freeland on the mound for Sunday's game, despite him developing a blister on his finger during his last start. He has been solid since returning from the injured list, with a 3.19 ERA in eight starts.
The Braves will have Spencer Schwellenbach pitching, but there was some consideration to push him back in order to limit his innings during his rookie season. He has already pitched 64 2/3 innings in the majors, and with his workload in the minors added, he's at 109 2/3 innings. Last season, he only pitched 65 innings. Schwellenbach's last start was on August 2nd, when he pitched seven innings and struck out 10 in the Braves' 5-3 win over the Marlins. He's never faced the Rockies before.
Looking ahead to the pitching matchups for the next two games, the Rockies will have a to-be-announced pitcher facing the Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt on Monday, followed by Austin Gomber facing Eduardo Rodriguez on Tuesday.
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