The Atlanta Braves took on the Colorado Rockies in game one of a three game series in Denver. With Bryce Elder on the mound for the Braves and Ryan Feltner on the mound for the Rockies, it looked like it may be a high scoring matchup.
It sure looked like the prediction was right about a high score because Bryce Elder struggled early. After the Braves went three-up-three down to start the game, Elder gave up a double to Jordan Beck and then a walk to Ryan McMahon, who was hitting .160 entering the game. DH Hunter Goodman, who has been on fire for the Rockies, made Elder pay with a three run shot over the left field wall to make the score 0-3. Elder was able to end the inning with no more damage.
The Braves then showed some life in the bottom of the second. Olson singled and then Ozzie stole second after reaching first on a force out to second. No runs came out of it though as Murphy struck out and Harris lined out.
Elder seemed to settle in for the most part after his terrible first inning. He collected groundouts number four and five of the game in the second inning, and forced a line out for a three-up-three-down inning.
The top of the third was the spark the Braves needed. Eli White continued to prove he is the right choice to start when he had a leadoff double. He was then moved to third when Nick Allen grounded out and then Alex Verdugo stayed red hot with a single to score White from third. Riley singled to put runners on the corners and then Marcell Ozuna knocked in Verdugo on a sac fly that made it to the warning track in right field to make the score 2-3 before the inning ended.
It looked like the Rockies may add some insurance runs in the bottom of the third. After Elder was able to get a foul tip strikeout to Doyle, Beck reached on an error made by Alex Verdugo and McMahon drew a walk yet again. This led to the same scenario in the first inning. Two runners on for Goodman. Elder won the battle this time though with a strikeout followed by inducing groundout number six.
In the fourth the Braves were able to keep the momentum. Albies popped up to third, but then Murphy reached on a single. Harris then hit into a force out and then stole second. White put runners on the corners and Allen knocked in Harris on a dribbler single to the pitcher that he beat out to make the score 3-3.
Verdugo then walked to load the bases, but Riley struck out.
In the bottom of the fourth, Moniak had a leadoff single, but Elder was able to strike out Stallings and Sean Murphy showed off his arm throwing Moniak out trying to steal second. Fortunately the stolen base failed because Trejo then doubled. Elder then forced a fly out to Nick Allen to end the inning.
The Braves were able to keep the momentum going in the fifth. Ozuna and Albies were able to reach via singles. Murphy struck out, but then Michael Harris continued his clutch streak with a two out double scoring two runs to make the score 5-3.
Feltner was replaced on the mound and Eli White was finally able to be stopped when he hit into a groundout to end the top of the fifth. Elder stayed in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and was about as efficient as he could be with two fly outs and a ground out, resulting in seeing the minimum hitters on a total of eleven pitches.
Nick Allen had another single, but promptly got caught trying to steal second. The Braves could not get anything else going in the sixth with two groundouts.
Elder stayed in the game to pitch the sixth inning and continued where he left off. He faced Goodman, who homered off of him in the first, and struck him out for the second time. Toglia hit a single, but Elder settled in and forced a line out, followed by his eighth ground out of the game. Elder ended his night with 6.0 innings pitched with three earned runs, on five hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. We take those.
The Braves had some fortune go their way in the seventh. Ozuna hit into a groundout, but then Olson walked and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Olson then moved to third on a groundout by Albies. Sean Murphy then scored Olson with a single to make the score 6-3. Murphy then moved to second on another wild pitch. Harris flew out t end the top of the inning, but some insurance had been added.
Pierce Johnson came in the game and shut down the Rockies with relative ease, sitting down all three batters in the seventh. The Braves continued their base runner barrage in the eighth. Allen had yet another single, followed by a single from Verdugo. Allen made it to third on a groundout, and there were runners on the corners for Ozuna. Ozuna struck out though ending the top of the eighth.
Daysbel Hernández came in to pitch the eighth and started off shaky. He gave up a double to Beck, followed by McMahon drawing his third walk of the night to put two on with no outs. Hernández was able to get Goodman fly out to RF and then strikeout Toglia and get Moniak to line out on a 90.6 MPH ball to Matt Olson.
Matt Olson led the ninth off with a 100.3 MPH rocket right at the center fielder Brenton Doyle. Albies struck out, followed by a Murphy strikeout which led to the Braves bringing in struggling (by his standards) closer Raisel Iglesias. Iglesias was able to get pinch-hitter Nick Martini to fly out to RF, and then get Trejo to line out. The Rockies were not going to let Iglesias get the save without a fight as Amador doubled on the first pitch he saw, but then Iglesias ended it with a strikeout on three pitches to Doyle.
Bryce Elder was able to shake off a bad first inning to look solid, the bullpen came though by not allowing a run, and the bats came alive with fourteen hits that resulted in six runs to win the game 6-3.
The Braves play the Rockies tomorrow at at 8:40 EDT. Same time, same place, same result? time will tell.
