Rockies at Braves
The Colorado Rockies were not going to average 2.8 runs per game for long, and now that the offense is producing the victories are piling up entering the start of a three-game series Friday at the Atlanta Braves. Outfielder David Dahl finished with three of Colorado’s 12 hits and the Rockies scored a season-high nine runs in Wednesday’s victory over Washington for their eighth triumph in their past 10 games - a stretch in which the offense is scoring 5.5 runs on 9.7 hits per contest.
Shortstop Trevor Story brings a career high-tying 13-game hitting streak into the weekend, hitting .358 in that span, while outfielder Charlie Blackmon is batting .389 during his current eight-game streak. The Rockies gave up 15 runs in a pair of losses to the Braves in Denver earlier this month, but Atlanta comes home after a miserable offensive series in dropping two of three at Cincinnati. The Braves finished 2-for-29 with runners in scoring position and left 26 runners on base, capping a 3-3 road trip. Catcher Brian McCann singled in the seventh inning of Thursday’s 3-2 defeat to extend his hitting streak to eight games, but as was typical of the series, the Braves loaded the bases with no outs that inning but did not score.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Denver), FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (1-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. Braves LH Max Fried (3-0, 1.38)
Senzatela makes his third start of the season after beginning the year on the injured list with an infected blister on his right heel. The 24-year-old began his campaign with a stellar performance April 15 at San Diego, allowing one run on six hits in 6 2/3 innings, then surrendered four runs on seven hits five days later in a loss to Philadelphia. Senzatela gave up two runs on five hits in five innings in a no-decision against Atlanta last season, and has surrendered one run in five of his past six regular-season road starts dating back to Aug. 2, 2018.
Fried showed flashes of potential during intermittent major-league duty the past two seasons, but the 25-year-old has emerged as perhaps Atlanta’s best pitcher in 2019. The 25-year-old beat Cleveland on Sunday, giving up two runs on seven hits for the second consecutive start, and in four turns has posted a 1.48 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP while walking five hitters in 24 1/3 innings. Fried leads the majors in ERA and is tied for first in the National League in wins.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta OF Ronald Acuna Jr. celebrated the one-year anniversary of his major-league debut Thursday by extending his hitting streak to five games, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk.
2. Colorado 1B Daniel Murphy went 1-for-4 on Wednesday in his first game since fracturing his left index finger March 29.
3. Rockies LF Raimel Tapia is hitting .385 with three homers, three double and two triples in his past nine games, going 2-for-4 with two doubles Wednesday.