Michael Harris II and Marcell Ozuna both hit late-inning three-run homers to help the Atlanta Braves come back and defeat the visiting Colorado Rockies 12-4 on Friday in the opener of their three-game series.
Atlanta has won three of four and Colorado has lost six of its last seven. Atlanta leads the season series 3-1.
Atlanta tied the game 4-4 with two outs in the sixth inning when Harris hit a three-run homer, his sixth, into the right field seats off reliever Jake Bird, who had not allowed an earned run in his last 10 outings. It was the third time in six games that Harris has homered.
Ozuna gave the Braves the lead in the seventh with two out. His home run, his 11th and first since June 1, against reliever Victor Vodnik (1-2) landed in the front row of the left-field bleachers. He added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
The winning pitcher was Enyel De Los Santos (2-2). Raisel Iglesias and Dylan Lee both pitched a scoreless inning to finish the game.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision. Atlanta’s Bryce Elder pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Colorado’s German Marquez worked five innings and allowed one run on six hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
The Rockies scored two runs in the first inning when Ryan McMahon caught a center-cut changeup and drove it 441 feet to dead center field for a two-run homer. It was McMahon’s ninth home run, the third in his last six games. He went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
The Braves got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Ronald Acuna Jr. scored on Matt Olson’s sacrifice fly to shallow left field. Acuna went 3-for-4 and stole his first base of the season.
Colorado scored two more times in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead and knocked Elder out of the game. Hunter Goodman and McMahon both had RBI singles.
The Braves iced the game with five runs in the eighth inning, a rally fueled by three Colorado errors.
–Field Level Media
