Rockies 5, Braves 3
DENVER - Pitchers Gonzalez Germen and Aaron Laffey made their debuts for the Colorado Rockies on Friday and played key roles in their 5-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Germen made his first major-league start and pitched three scoreless innings. Laffey followed him to the mound and worked 2 1/3 innings. Both players were promoted Friday after the Rockies adjusted their pitching staff in the wake of a lengthy rain delay Thursday that forced starter Kyle Kendrick out after one inning. David Hale then suffered a groin injury that resulted in manager Walt Weiss using all but one of his eight relievers.
Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez put the Rockies ahead 5-0 when he led off the fifth against Shelby Miller (5-5) with his 12th homer. Laffey worked a scoreless fourth and fifth but gave up a three-run homer to first baseman Kelly Johnson with one out in the sixth that made it 5-3.
Third baseman Chris Johnson followed with a single, chasing Laffey. LaTroy Hawkins grabbed catcher A.J. Pierzynski's hard comebacker and started an inning-ending double play.
When the Rockies got the game to Hawkins, who worked 1 2/3 innings, they were in familiar territory with relievers back in their accustomed roles. And that wouldn't have happened without the work of Germen and Laffey (1-0).
Tommy Kahnle figured prominently in the win. He struck out third baseman Chris Johnson to end the eighth after Boone Logan yielded consecutive two-out singles.
Closer John Axford retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 16th save in 17 opportunities.
The win was the Rockies' second straight over the Braves - both by scores of 5-3 - and evened their record at 2-2 on this six-game homestand. The Rockies won consecutive games for the first time since June 25-26.
The loss was the third straight for the Braves, who began the month with six wins in their first seven games.
The scoring began in the first when third baseman Nolan Arenado doubled home a run, driving in second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who singled with one out. That snapped a career-high-tying streak for Arenado of nine games without an RBI.
Braves starter Miller and Rockies shortstop Daniel Descalso were teammates with St. Louis before the Cardinals parted with both players after last season. Descalso ended a career-high stretch of 20 hitless at-bats when he tripled home a run in the three-run fourth and scored on left fielder Brandon Barnes' single.
The Rockies made it 4-0 when center fielder Charlie Blackmon tripled and scored on LeMahieu's ground-rule double. Center fielder Cameron Maybin ran far from right-center and unsuccessfully tried to make a sliding catch on the warning track in left-center, where the ball hit and hopped over the wall.
The start was Germen's first since Sept. 3, 2012, when he was pitching at the Double-A level in the New York Mets' organization.
Germen, who threw 34 pitches, including 22 strikes, gave up a leadoff single in the first to second baseman Jace Peterson but got Maybin to ground into a double play and did not allow another runner to reach base until Miller walked with two outs in the third.
NOTES: Braves CF Cameron Maybin singled in the sixth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high-tying 10 games. ...Rockies RHP David Hale (left groin strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He was injured pushing off from third and scoring on a sacrifice fly Thursday. ... Rockies RHP Gonzalez Germen was claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. ... Rockies LHP Aaron Laffey had his contract selected from Albuquerque, where he is 2-3 with a 4.91 ERA in 19 games and five starts. To make room for Laffey on the 40-man roster, LHP Tyler Anderson was recalled and placed on the 60-day disabled list. He hasn't pitched this season because of his second stress fracture in his left elbow. ... Rockies RHP Scott Oberg was optioned to Albuquerque. In 34 games with the Rockies, Oberg is 2-1 with a 5.97 ERA. ... Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki was given a planned day off. ... Braves LHP Josh Outman (thoracic outlet syndrome) began a rehab assignment with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Braves and pitched one scoreless inning. ... The Braves got eight innings from their bullpen Thursday after starter Alex Wood threw two pitches and didn't return after a two-hour, six-minute rain delay. It was the longest Atlanta's bullpen has gone since also throwing eight innings on Sept. 20, 2014, against the New York Mets. Braves relievers allowed 16 hits on Thursday, the most by the Atlanta bullpen since Aug. 22, 2008, when St. Louis had 21 hits.