Rockies at Braves
The top two hit men in the National League will roam center field in the same ballpark this weekend, as Charlie Blackmon and the playoff-contending Colorado Rockies visit Atlanta for Friday’s opener of a three-game series against Ender Inciarte and the struggling Braves. Blackmon recorded two hits Thursday to give him 173 on the season, while Inciarte ranks second in the NL and third in the majors overall with 160 after a four-hit performance Wednesday.
Colorado’s once-comfortable cushion in the NL wild-card race has dwindled to 3 1/2 games thanks to difficulties away from home, where the Rockies are only 7-23 in their past 30 road games after Thursday’s 3-2 victory at Kansas City. An encouraging sign Thursday was Greg Holland recording the save in the series finale after blowing three of his previous four opportunities. The Braves look to play spoiler after failing to do so against American League wild-card contender Seattle this week, losing two of three games at home to the Mariners after coughing up a one-run lead late in Wednesday’s 9-6 defeat. Former closer Jim Johnson could not hold the lead in the eighth inning and has surrendered 11 runs in 2 1/3 innings across his past four appearances, as Atlanta enters the weekend just 11-24 since July 16.
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), FSN South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (0-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (7-11, 5.02)
Bettis has made two starts since returning from testicular cancer surgery and treatment, pitching seven innings in each outing while allowing only three runs with one walk and eight strikeouts combined. The 28-year-old will face the Braves for the second time this season, after firing seven scoreless innings of six-hit ball with two strikeouts and no walks in his season debut Aug. 14. He limited Milwaukee to three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts on Saturday.
Teheran was unable to build off an excellent outing against Bettis in Colorado in his last start against Cincinnati at home Saturday, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in six innings to lose his fifth consecutive decision. The 26-year-old continues to struggle at home, going 1-9 with a 6.98 ERA in 13 starts and a .290 opponents batting average. Teheran did not get a decision when he faced the Rockies on Aug. 14 in Denver but pitched outstanding, striking out eight while allowing four hits in seven scoreless innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rockies and Braves split a four-game series at Coors Field Aug. 14-17 with Colorado pounding Atlanta 17-2 in the third contest of the set before the Braves rebounded with a 10-4 victory in the finale.
2. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman is batting .412 during his current 12-game hitting streak, with seven multi-hit games in that span.
3. Colorado 3B Nolan Arenado, who leads the majors with 108 RBIs, extended his hitting streak to nine games with two hits Thursday.