One of the biggest surprises of the early days of the major league season is the productivity of the Atlanta Braves' offense, as they play the middle game of a three-game set Saturday at the Colorado Rockies leading the majors in runs scored. Atlanta rolled to its third consecutive victory Friday in chilly Denver, banging out 11 hits in an 8-3 triumph that gives the Braves 56 runs scored and 74 hits through eight games and a team batting average of .303.
Shortstop Dansby Swanson, whose struggles last season earned him a demotion to the minors, went 3-for-5 with three RBIs to raise his average to .370 and his OPS to .926. The Rockies, who gave up just three runs total in back-to-back victories in San Diego, surrendered eight runs or more for the fourth time in eight games this season to raise the pitching staff’s ERA to 5.09. Catcher Chris Iannetta continued his good start offensively, collecting two hits in the opener to bump his average to .409. Center fielder Charlie Blackmon, who came into the series with 10 hits (including four homers) in his past 25 at-bats, finished 0-for-3.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Denver)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Anibal Sanchez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Chad Bettis (1-0, 3.60)
Atlanta signed Sanchez to a minor-league deal after the Twins released the 34-year-old in early March, a depth move with fifth starter Luiz Gohara sidelined with an ankle injury. Sanchez gave up five runs in nine innings across two spring training appearances, but provided the Braves three scoreless innings of relief with one hit allowed and three walks Monday against Washington. Sanchez finished 3-7 with a 6.41 ERA in 28 games (17 starts) for Detroit a season ago.
Bettis was one of baseball’s best stories last season, missing time due to treatment for testicular cancer before debuting in August and finishing 2-4 with a 5.05 ERA in nine starts. The 28-year-old opened his season with a victory over the Padres on Monday, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Bettis faced Atlanta in his third start last season on Aug. 25, giving up five runs on six hits in five innings to take the loss.
WALK-OFFS1. Colorado SS Trevor Story finished 1-for-4 on Friday, and has collected at least one hit in 10 of his past 11 games against Atlanta (batting .396 in that span).
2. Atlanta 2B Ozzie Albies is 5-for-14 with three extra-base hits and five runs in scored in his past three games, after starting the season 3-for-20.
3. Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez drove in two runs in the opener, giving him 33 RBIs in 48 career games against the Braves.