Atlanta scores 11 unanswered to open homestand with a 12-4 win
After a gritty road series win in Milwaukee, the Braves returned home to Truist Park on Friday night looking to build momentum. Facing a struggling Colorado Rockies team with a dismal 13-55 record, Atlanta wore their signature red jerseys and delivered a comeback performance that turned into a rout, defeating the Rockies 12-4 in front of a fired-up home crowd.
Bryce Elder’s Rocky Start
The night didn’t start the way Atlanta fans hoped. Right-hander Bryce Elder took the mound for the Braves and was quickly tested. After recording two outs in the top of the first, Elder gave up a single followed by a towering 441-foot two-run homer to center from Ryan McMahon, giving the Rockies an early 2-0 lead.
Atlanta responded with energy in the bottom half. Ronald Acuña Jr. opened the inning with a double and later came around to score on a Matt Olson sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Braves had a chance to add more, but Marcell Ozuna struck out to end the frame.
Colorado Keeps Applying Pressure
The Rockies continued to make Elder work in the second, loading the bases on a double, a single by former Brave Orlando Arcia, and a hit-by-pitch. A clutch 1-2-3 double play helped Elder escape unscathed, but the long innings were piling up.
After another jam in the third and more base traffic in the fourth, Colorado finally broke through again. Elder allowed another pair of runs, including an RBI single from Hunter Goodman, and was pulled after 3.1 innings, allowing seven hits, four earned runs, three walks, and striking out just two. Ryan McMahon drove in his third run of the game to give Colorado a 4-1 lead.
Bats Wake Up Behind the Braves
The Braves offense stalled through the middle innings, stranding runners in the third and fourth. But the sixth inning changed the tone entirely.
After a leadoff double from Matt Olson and a walk from Sean Murphy, Michael Harris II crushed a three-run homer to right-center — a 394-foot blast that tied the game at 4-4 and reignited the Truist Park crowd.
Ozuna Fuel’s the Fire
Atlanta kept the foot on the gas in the seventh. With two outs and runners on the corners, Marcell Ozuna came up clutch with a three-run bomb of his own — a 407-foot shot to left-center that gave the Braves a 7-4 lead.
In the eighth, a series of Rockies miscues turned into a nightmare. Michael Harris II reached on a single, then advanced to second and third on consecutive fielding and throwing errors. Nick Allen’s sac fly made it 8-4. Then, with the bases loaded, Matt Olson ripped a single to right that scored two more, and a throwing error brought home a third. Ozuna added his fourth RBI of the night with a sac fly to right to cap a five-run inning.
Lockdown Bullpen Closes the Door
The bullpen deserves credit for keeping Atlanta in the game until the bats came alive. Enyel De Los Santos pitched a clean seventh, Raisel Iglesias worked a quick eighth, and Dylan Lee closed things out in the ninth. In total, Atlanta’s bullpen tossed 5.2 innings of scoreless ball.
Final Thoughts: Braves Win Big, But What’s Next?
This win was important for multiple reasons. First, it was a game the Braves had to win. Beating a 13-55 Rockies team is a must for a club trying to get back on track at now 30-38. Second, it showed resilience. Down 4-1 in the sixth, Atlanta could’ve folded. Instead, they got a spark from Michael Harris II and exploded for 11 unanswered runs.
The offense was balanced and opportunistic. Harris II (3 RBIs), Ozuna (4 RBIs), Olson (3 RBIs), and Acuña Jr. (3 hits, 2 runs) all contributed. The defense turned timely double plays. And the bullpen was lights out. These are the types of all-around performances that can turn a season right around.
With this win, Atlanta is now 30-38, inching closer to .500. They’ll look to keep rolling Saturday afternoon.
Up Next: Game 2 of the Series
Location: Truist Park – Atlanta, GA
Time: 4:10 PM ET
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South & Southeast
Listen: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
Probable Pitchers: Spencer Strider (0-5) vs. Chase Dollander (2-6)
Can Strider finally secure his first win of the year and help the Braves win their third straight? If the offense looks anything like it did Friday night, don’t count them out.
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