DENVER — The Braves might be back. They defeated the Rockies 8-7 on Sunday to win their fifth straight game and capture a four-game sweep at Coors Field.
Here are five observations on Atlanta (28-27):
1. When the Braves suffered a brutal loss in the second game in Arizona, it seemed they were headed for yet another mediocre road trip. They had already left a few wins on the table in other trips.
Instead, they are on their best run of the season. They have won five consecutive games, two in extra innings. The Braves pitched well, and multiple bats might be clicking at the same time.
This was as complete a series sweep as they come.
“I think everybody in here knows the talent that’s in here and the type of team that we have,” Matt Olson said. “Obviously everything that was accomplished last year, it feels like we’re starting to get on that roll. Five straight wins and we’ll keep it going as long as we can.”
2. With the tying run on second base and two outs in the ninth, as the Braves were clinging to a one-run lead, Olson fielded a grounder near first base.
He looked toward Kenley Jansen, who was sprinting toward first to cover the bag. Instead of throwing it to Jansen, Olson ran toward first, dove and tagged the bag for the game’s final out.
“I wasn’t 100% sure if he was going to beat Kenley to the bag, so I thought I had a better chance of getting there myself,” Olson said. “Glad I didn’t take out any knees or anything. Could’ve been a little bad. My instincts took over.”
There is never a dull moment at Coors Field.
“Stressful,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Always (is) here.”
The Braves had a four-run lead as they headed to the bottom of the eighth. Will Smith allowed a two-run homer in the eighth and Jansen gave up a leadoff shot in the ninth, then a two-out double that might have left the yard if not for the heightened wall in right-center field.
The Braves haven’t lost a series here since 2016.
3. In this victory, the Braves continued an encouraging trend: They’ve been especially dangerous with two outs.
Seven of Atlanta’s eight runs came with two outs Sunday.
“When you get something going, most of the time you’re getting two-out RBIs,” Snitker said. “Those kind of things lead to winning streaks. It’s hard to do. It’s hard to get a two-out hit.”
The Braves entered this game tied with the Rockies (ironically) with 101 two-out runs this season. The Braves led the majors with a .258 batting average in those spots.
Sunday’s two-out runs scored like this:
In the first inning, Ozzie Albies laced a two-run single. In the second, Olson launched a 441-foot, three-run homer to give the Braves another three-run lead after Charlie Morton coughed up the first one. In the fifth, Adam Duvall advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a throwing error by the catcher. And in the eighth, Ronald Acuña blasted a 441-foot homer.
4. You only needed to hear it to know it was long gone.
In the eighth inning, Acuña pulverized a baseball that left the bat at 112 mph and went halfway up the left-field seats. Acuña went 4-for-5, which matched a career high in hits for a game.
He is now batting .313 this season. And perhaps just as important, he played three straight games in right field this weekend.
“I think it’s nice just because we saw that I could play three (straight) games out in the outfield, and we saw that it was getting better, and we saw how I was capable of doing,” Acuña said through interpreter Franco García.
5. Here’s how Morton’s outing began: walk, walk, strikeout, two-run double, run-scoring single, walk. He needed 41 pitches to complete the first inning and seemed headed toward a frustratingly short start.
Morton, whose offense gave him a three-run lead before he even exited the dugout, gave all three right back in the first. But then he allowed only one run – a fifth-inning solo shot – over the next four frames.
In the third inning, a comebacker drilled Morton in the hand. He remained in the game. He said the ball jammed a few of his fingers, but he didn’t appear concerned. He fought through to finish five.
Stat to know
2-1: The Braves are over .500 for the first time since April 9, when the Braves were 2-1.
Quotable
“The guys are in a good spot. Just trying to get on a roll here and sustain one. But the clubhouse is great. The clubhouse has been great. We’re in a good spot.” – Morton on the team’s mood after winning its fifth straight game
Up next
The Braves are off Monday but return to action Tuesday at 7:20 p.m. versus Oakland. Braves right-hander Kyle Wright will pitch against Athletics lefty Cole Irvin.
