Michael Harris II blasted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Atlanta Braves rallied late to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-6 in Denver on Friday night.
Matt Olson also went deep, while Austin Riley, Mauricio Dubon and Ronald Acuna had two hits each. Didier Fuentes (1-0) got the win in relief for Atlanta, which erased a six-run deficit and won for the fourth time in its last five.
Mickey Moniak homered among his two hits and Tyler Johnston also had two hits for Colorado, which has lost three of its last four.
The Braves, who trailed 6-1 after six innings, got a run in the seventh and then tied it in the eighth when Zach Agnos and Jaden Hill walked the bases loaded with one out.
Dubon tripled down the right field line to make it 6-5. Then came home with the tying run on Riley’s sacrifice fly.
Juan Mejia (0-3) walked Jonah Heim to lead off the ninth and Harris followed with his seventh homer of the season to give Atlanta the lead.
Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
The first six Rockies batters reached in the first inning against Grant Holmes, and 10 went to the plate in the frame. Edouard Julien led off with a walk, Moniak singled and Hunter Goodman drove in the first run with a double.
TJ Rumfield followed with an RBI single and Tyler Freeman’s bunt single brought home Goodman to make it 3-0. Johnston’s single loaded the bases, and Willi Castro grounded out to first base to score Rumfield. Freeman came home on Olson’s errant throw to the plate.
Moniak led off the second with his ninth home run of the season to make it 6-0 but Holmes settled down after that. He allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and struck out four in his five innings.
Colorado starter Jose Quintana was sharp. He allowed just one hit until Olson’s homer in the fourth and scattered five hits over six innings.
–Field Level Media
