Atlanta Braves vs Colorado Rockies Box Score on Aug 16, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 17, 2017

DENVER -- The timing couldn't have been better for the Colorado Rockies as they emphatically halted their offensive woes Wednesday night by piling on the Atlanta Braves for their most lopsided victory of the season.

Colorado scored in each of the first five innings, packing 14 runs into that span en route to a 17-2 win. The 15-run margin was the Rockies' biggest since they walloped Houston 19-3 at Coors Field on Sept. 25, 2011.

Trevor Story hit two home runs, giving him 18 for the season, and had a career-high six RBIs while going 3-for-4. It was Story's first multi-homer game of the season after he savored four such performances last year as a rookie.

"It seemed like I hadn't done that in forever," Story said.

The Rockies pivoted sharply off their recent past. Colorado had gone 2-6 while scoring no more than three runs in eight consecutive games, the second-longest such streak in franchise history and one shy of the record. In those eight games, the Rockies went 9-for-62 (.145) with runners in scoring position.

They matched that eight-game total Wednesday, going 9-for-19 with runners in scoring position while erupting for 18 hits, including nine for extra bases. The nine hits with runners in scoring position were a season high.

"We know what kind of offense we have," said Mark Reynolds, who belted his 25th homer and had three hits and four RBIs. "Every team in baseball goes through a little lull where they can't seem to get the big hit or string hits together, and we kind of had that (last week) in Cleveland and Miami and the first two games here (against Atlanta). Today was huge, I think, for everyone on the team, confidence-wise."

DJ LeMahieu had his fifth four-hit game of the season and the ninth of his career while scoring four runs. Nolan Arenado drove in a pair, giving him a major-league-most 103 RBIs.

Gerardo Parra had three hits and four RBIs. With four or more RBIs apiece, Parra, Reynolds and Story combined to equal a franchise record. The only other time the Rockies had three players with at least four RBIs was Aug. 11, 1998, when Vinny Castilla, Mike Lansing and Todd Helton did it at Montreal.

The Rockies pounded the San Diego Padres 18-4 on July 19, which had been their biggest margin of victory this season before the Wednesday onslaught that included three three-run innings and a five-run outburst.

The beneficiary of the offensive surge was Colorado starter Jon Gray (5-2). The right-hander allowed five hits and two runs in six innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He retired the first nine batters and held the Braves scoreless for the first five innings as he improved to 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts at Coors Field this season.

"I'm comfortable here," Gray said. "It's more of a pride thing. I take a lot of pride in pitching here and being better than the other guy."

The 17 runs allowed were a season high for the Braves, who twice surrendered 16 this year. It was the most runs they have yielded since they allowed 20 against the New York Yankees on Aug. 30, 2015.

Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz (10-8) took the brunt of the Rockies' punishment, giving up a career-high-tying eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. Foltynewicz, who lasted 2 2/3 innings in his previous start, needed 97 pitches to get the 10 outs Wednesday.

"It was just one of those times where I got ahead of guys and I just couldn't finish," Foltynewicz said. "I don't know what it was. Really things just weren't working out for me, and I was just leaving balls over the middle of the plate with two strikes, and then bloop hits and gappers and walking people doesn't help either."

Before the game, Rockies manager Bud Black lamented: "We're seeing good at-bats inning to inning, but we're not stringing the good at-bats in one inning."

Following the rout, Black referenced that critique after the offense zoomed into high gear.

"We talked about not bunching hits together in an inning," he said. "We've hit some homers, but they've been solos. Today we saw the opposite of what we've seen the last eight or nine days. Really bunched hits together, lot of traffic, lot of big hits."

NOTES: The start of the game was delayed 16 minutes by rain. ... LF Matt Kemp (right hamstring strain) ran rigorously for the second time this week, but the Braves' training staff wants him to do it again Friday before he might be activated Saturday. ... Colorado's streak of 11 wins over the Braves at Coors Field that ended Tuesday was its longest home winning streak against any opponent. ... Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson, who underwent left knee surgery July 3, will throw about 35 pitches in his second bullpen session Thursday. ... The Rockies traded LHP Sam Moll to Oakland for a player to be named or cash considerations. Moll had spent the season at Triple-A Albuquerque.