DENVER – Matt Olson had two homers and a career-high six RBIs, Marcell Ozuna and Jorge Soler homered, and the Atlanta Braves snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-8 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.
Olson hit a two-run home run against Angel Chivilli (0-1) to break an 8-8 tie in the seventh inning and Soler added a solo shot in the eighth to help the Braves avoid their longest losing streak in nearly eight years (August 13-20, 2016).
Atlanta overcame an early 3-0 deficit on Sam Hilliard’s three-run homer off starter Max Fried and blew an 8-5 lead in the sixth inning before rallying for the win.
“As difficult as it was for us to put on a game, it’s huge,” Atlanta coach Brian Snitker said. “This could have been a ‘here we go again’ kind of thing, but these guys have been playing here long enough to know these games are never over until they’re over. Anything can happen.”
Hilliard had a home run, two doubles and a career-high five RBIs for the Rockies, who have lost 10 of their last 11 against the Braves at Coors Field.
Ozuna homered for the third consecutive game, and Olson had his second two-home run game in 10 games after hitting two against Milwaukee on July 31. Soler had three hits and three RBIs and hit home runs in consecutive games.
“I just wanted to pull the ball,” Olson said, striking out after Ozuna led off the seventh with a double. “I just had to try to get him to third base. He was able to increase the change a little bit. The quality of the batting has been better than at the beginning of the year, but there is always room for growth.”
Brendan Rodgers and Brenton Doyle had two hits for Colorado, and Ezequiel Tovar had a two-run double on a three-run sixth that tied the round-trip game at 8-8.
Former Colorado right-hander Pierce Johnson (5-4) pitched 1 1/3 innings for Atlanta’s victory, striking out Kris Bryant looking with the go-ahead runner on second to end the sixth.
Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 26 chances.
“The guys kept fighting,” Snitker said. “It was a good game to win.”
Olson and Hilliard were the main sources of the game’s opening goals. Olson hit a grand slam off Colorado starter Dakota Hudson to cap a five-run third with a 5-3 lead, one inning after Hilliard’s homer opened the scoring. Hudson was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque for the start.
Hilliard drove in two runs with a double to right center that fell between three defenders to tie the game at 5-5 in the third.
“The timing was right tonight,” Hilliard said. “The balance is good. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and arriving at the right time.”
Homer by Ozuna and Soler’s two-season single put Atlanta up 8-5 after six innings, but the Rockies tied it on Tovar’s two-run double and Doyle’s single.
Fried gave up seven hits and five runs (four earned) in five innings with nine strikeouts and three walks in his second appearance after returning from the injured list. He retired the seven finalists he faced and joined John Smoltz and Julio Teheran as the only Atlanta pitchers with 800 career strikeouts in 160 games or fewer.
“Just out of sync, out of rhythm,” Fried said. “(His time on the IL) is definitely a factor, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. We are here to win games. I take the ball hoping to be myself and give us a chance to win. Lucky guys really got me tonight.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: OF Ramon Laureano (heel) was removed for a pinch hitter in the fourth inning. He appeared to suffer the injury when he beat an infield single in the third. … DE Michael Harris II (left hamstring) went 3-for-4 with a home run in a rehab game for Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. He is expected to return to the Braves when he is eligible on Wednesday.
Rockies: RHP Cal Quantrill (forearm soreness) has been postponed. His next start has not been scheduled. … OF Nolan Jones (back) went 2 for 4 with a home run and a double in his third rehab appearance for Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday. … LHP Chasen Shreve was assigned the task of creating a roster spot for Hudson.
NEXT
Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (3-5, 5.65) ERA will oppose Atlanta RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (4-5, 4.04) in the series rubber. Freeland, sidelined from his final game on Tuesday because of a blister on his left index finger, has played quality games in six of eight games since returning from the injured list.
___
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
