Braves at Rockies
The Atlanta Braves hold a six-game lead in the National League East and their much-maligned bullpen finally has settled into a rhythm heading into Monday’s make-up game at the Colorado Rockies. The Braves have won eight straight contests after they capped a three-game road sweep of the New York Mets with Sunday’s 2-1 victory, and Atlanta’s bullpen - bolstered at the trade deadline - has pitched to a 0.64 ERA with two earned runs allowed in 28 1/3 innings in that span.
Third baseman Josh Donaldson has enjoyed an extended hot streak, recording his fourth multi-homer game of the season with a pair of solo shots Sunday to give him a .289 average with 24 blasts along with 51 RBIs in his past 66 games dating to June 11. Now they head to Denver to make up an April 10 game postponed by snow against a Rockies team that has dropped four in a row, six of seven, and are 18-39 since June 21 following Sunday’s 11-4 defeat at St. Louis. Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado homered for the seventh time in his past 10 games Sunday and drove in his 100th run of the season, giving him five consecutive seasons with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs. Shortstop Trevor Story begins the week hitting .361 in August with six homers and seven doubles for the Rockies.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, YouTube
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (8-8, 3.53 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Tim Melville (1-0, 1.29)
Teheran rebounded from one of the worst starts of his career - giving up six runs on eight hits over 1 1/3 innings Aug. 15 against the Mets - to beat Miami on Wednesday, allowing five hits with a season-high nine strikeouts in seven shutout innings. The 28-year-old has pitched to a 2.87 ERA across his past 20 starts, allowing one earned run or fewer 13 times in that span. Teheran, who is holding opposing hitters to a .231 batting average, pitched in Denver on April 8 and carried a no-hitter into the fifth before allowing six runs on five hits.
Melville gets his second start after an impressive performance in his first big-league game since 2017, holding Arizona to one run on two hits over seven innings Wednesday to earn his first major-league victory. The 29-year-old made six appearances in 2016-17 for Cincinnati, Minnesota and San Diego, allowing 18 earned runs on 23 hits in 14 2/3 innings. Melville made two appearances in independent baseball this season before the Rockies signed him, and at Triple-A Albuquerque went 10-5 with a 5.42 ERA in 18 games.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Braves are 3-2 against Colorado this season and the games have featured plenty of offense, as Atlanta has scored 32 runs and the Rockies have 31.
2. Colorado OF Charlie Blackmon has hit safely in 17 of 22 games this month, but is hitless in his past 14 at-bats.
3. Atlanta OF Ronald Acuna Jr. has 15 homers and 17 stolen bases in 41 games since the All-Star break.