Matt Olson had three hits and three runs scored, Michael Harris II drove in three runs and the Atlanta Braves handed the Colorado Rockies their eighth straight loss with an 8-2 victory on Tuesday night in Denver.
AJ Smith-Shawver (1-2) allowed two runs on four hits, with one walk and five strikeouts, over 5 1/3 innings. He exited in the sixth inning after being hit on his right elbow with a 105 mph comebacker by Ryan McMahon.
Austin Riley had two hits and two RBIs for Atlanta, which outhit the Rockies 14-6 and won for the ninth time in 11 games. Nick Allen drove in two runs and Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy and Eli White each had two hits.
Michael Toglia homered and drove in two runs for Colorado, which has lost 16 of its last 17 to fall to a major-league-worst 4-25. Hunter Goodman had two hits.
Atlanta took a 2-0 lead with one out in the second inning against German Marquez (0-5) on Harris’ two-run double.
Toglia put the Rockies on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the second. The one-out blast was Toglia’s third homer this season.
The Braves added three runs in the fourth inning after loading the bases with no outs. Olson scored on Harris’ groundout before Allen knocked in two runs with a one-out single.
Atlanta extended its lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning. Olson hit a one-out double and scored on a fielding error by right fielder Mickey Moniak on Albies’ single.
Riley added an RBI single in the sixth inning for the Braves, who are 18-4 against Colorado dating to the start of the 2022 season.
Marquez lost his fifth straight start, allowing seven runs on 11 hits with one walk and one strikeout over 5 1/3 innings.
Colorado pushed a run across with runners at the corners and one out in the sixth inning when Toglia grounded into a forceout, scoring Jordan Beck from third.
Riley singled in another run with two outs in the eighth inning for Atlanta, which can sweep the three-game series Wednesday afternoon.
–Field Level Media