Spencer Strider struck out a season-high 13 over six scoreless innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the visiting Colorado Rockies 4-1 on Saturday for their third straight win.
The Braves lead the season series 4-1 and improved to 20-5 against the Rockies since the start of the 2022 season.
Colorado has lost seven of its last eight and dropped to 13-57, the worst start to a season in the modern era, one game worse than the 1932 Boston Red Sox (14-56).
Strider (1-5) allowed three hits and walked one to earn his first victory since missing nearly all of the 2024 season with Tommy John surgery. In his last start against the Rockies on Sept. 1, 2022, Strider set an Atlanta franchise record with 16 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. went 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs and two RBIs and to pace the offense. He hit his seventh homer, a 410-foot two-run shot into the left field seats.
The Atlanta bullpen covered the final three innings. Rafael Montero pitched a perfect seventh and eighth, striking out four. Dylan Lee allowed an unearned run in the ninth following Austin Riley’s fielding error.
The losing pitcher was Chase Dollander (2-7), who pitched six innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Dollander, who grew up near Augusta, Ga., has lost his last four decisions and hasn’t won since beating the Braves on April 30 in Denver.
The Braves scored a run in the first inning. Acuna walked and later scored on Matt Olson’s RBI single. Olson has reached base in 16 consecutive games.
Nick Allen singled with two outs in the second and scored on Acuna’s blast to give the Braves a 3-1 lead.
Atlanta tacked on a run in the sixth. Acuna reached on an infield single and took second when third baseman Ryan McMahon’s throw sailed high and into the camera well. Acuna scored on Riley’s two-out single.
Brenton Doyle’s two-out RBI single in the ninth scored Hunter Goodman, who had reached on Riley’s error.
–Field Level Media
