DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez singled home the winning run off Eric O'Flaherty with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.
O'Flaherty (1-3) retired his first two batters before third baseman Martin Prado let Dexter Fowler's groundball go through his legs for a two-base error. Pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton drew an intentional walk, bringing up Gonzalez, who slapped the first pitch he saw into right field, scoring Fowler from second.
That made a winner out of Huston Street (1-3), who threw a 1-2-3 ninth, which ended with Fowler catching pinch-hitter Brian McCann's drive up against the wall.
Rookie right-hander Juan Nicasio was once again overpowering at Coors Field, allowing just one run over seven innings, and he stood to improve to 5-0 at home until Matt Lindstrom blew the save in just two pitches in the eighth inning.
Jordan Schafer led off with a single against Rex Brothers, who retired the next two batters before giving way to Lindstrom, who quickly blew his second save in his last three appearances.
Schafer stole second base on Lindstrom's first pitch and Dan Uggla lined his second offering into center field to score Schafer.
Uggla extended his hitting streak to 12 games, tying his career high set last summer, and his RBI snapped Brothers' scoreless streak at 10 innings covering 12 appearances and dating to June 19.
Nicasio surrendered one run on five hits in seven innings, lowering his ERA at Coors Field to 1.57. His only walk was intentional and he struck out four. He committed an error covering first base in the sixth but his infielders bailed him out with three spectacular plays to keep the Braves at bay.
Helton gave Colorado a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run shot into the right field seats, his 11th homer, three more than he had all of last season. The Braves cut their deficit in half in the second when Jason Heyward singled and scored on a double by David Ross.
Right-hander Tim Hudson, who allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings, retired 14 of the next 16 batters he faced, handling everybody except Fowler, who doubled in the third and singled in the fifth but was stranded at second base both times.
Both teams failed to capitalize on big scoring chances in the sixth.
The Braves put runners at second and third with no outs as Martin Prado reached on an error when Nicasio took his eye off the ball as he covered first base on a groundball to Helton and Freddie Freeman followed with a double down the right field line.
Martin took off on Uggla's groundball to Ian Stewart and looked surprised that the third baseman threw home, getting tagged out without even sliding. Second baseman Mark Ellis then made a run-saving stab of Heyward's groundball for the second out, and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki capped the inning with a barehanded grab of Alex Gonzalez's comebacker that richocheted off Nicasio and fired to first in the nick of time.
The Rockies loaded the bases with two outs in their half of the inning, but Hudson got Stewart to line out softly to Uggla at second base to squelch that threat.
NOTES: Eliezer Alfonzo's start was his second behind the plate since joining the Rockies on July 15. Manager Jim Tracy said he wanted starter Chris Iannetta to catch Jhoulys Chacin in the getaway game Thursday afternoon. ... Heyward had missed the last two games with a bruised left foot.
Friday
May 17th, 2024
2:18AM
