Braxton Fulford drove in a career-best five runs and Austin Gomber threw five scoreless innings in his season debut to propel the visiting Colorado Rockies to a rare 10-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
Gomber, who was activated from the 60-day injured list prior to the series finale, allowed just two hits while striking out four and walking one. Jake Bird (2-1) allowed the game-tying run in the sixth inning but earned the win after the Rockies plated six runs in the seventh. Ryan McMahon homered and Jordan Beck drove in two for Colorado, which posted just its 14th win of the season and improved to 7-30 on the road.
Grant Holmes (3-6) allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits, while striking out a career-high 15 and walking two for Atlanta, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Colorado struck first in the third inning without the use of a base hit, as Ryan Ritter reached first and advanced to third on Holmes’ fielding error and subsequent throwing error before Fulford drove in the run on a sacrifice fly.
Atlanta mustered its first hit in the bottom of the fifth as Michael Harris II blooped a two-out single to left. Eli White followed with a single to right, but Gomber retired Nick Allen to escape the jam.
Holmes’ no-hit bid came to an end with one out in the sixth, when Fulford laced a single to center after six consecutive Rockies’ strikeouts.
Bird relieved Gomber in the bottom of the sixth, allowing four consecutive singles – including Marcell Ozuna’s game-tying RBI base hit to right.
McMahon then launched a 429-foot solo homer in the seventh to give the Rockies a 2-1 edge. After striking out Thairo Estrada, Holmes walked Brenton Doyle and was pulled for reliever Enyel De Los Santos.
Orlando Arcia and Ritter then singled to load the bases, before De Los Santos walked Fulford to score the third Rockies’ run. Beck followed with a two-run single to push Colorado’s lead to 5-1 and force Jose Ruiz to replace De Los Santos. The Rockies’ onslaught continued with Tyler Freeman’s RBI single and Ruiz’s balk that extended the lead to 7-1.
The Rockies tacked on in the eighth as Ruiz allowed Estrada’s single before walking Doyle and Ritter. Aaron Bummer entered as the Braves’ third reliever, surrendering Fulford’s bases-clearing triple to build a nine-run cushion.
–Field Level Media
