Jake Cave hit a two-run homer to spark Colorado’s furious seven-run, eighth-inning rally as the Rockies stunned the Atlanta Braves 9-8 in Denver on Sunday.
After Cave’s homer off Luke Jackson, the Rockies posted five runs with two outs as Charlie Blackmon drove in a pair with a single off Joe Jimenez (1-4) and scored on Ryan McMahon’s single. Brendan Rodgers capped the comeback with a go-ahead, two-run double as Colorado won the three-game series.
Blackmon and Sam Hilliard finished with three hits apiece while Rodgers, McMahon and Alan Schunk had two hits each as part of a 16-hit attack.
Josh Rogers (2-0) picked up the win after having his contract selected from Triple-A earlier in the day.
Colorado’s rally overcame a pair of home runs by Atlanta’s Jorge Soler (2-for-4, four RBIs), who has hit six of his 16 homers this season against the Rockies. Orlando Arcia had four hits, Austin Riley homered and doubled and Travis d’Arnaud also went deep for Atlanta, which wasted six strong innings from rookie Spencer Schwellenbach.
It was Schwellenbach’s fifth straight start tossing at least six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks and fanning seven.
Colorado starter Kyle Freeland was forced to leave his second straight start due to a blister on his pitching hand. He allowed d’Arnaud’s two-run homer, his 12th, in the fourth and gave up Riley’s solo shot in the first, his 18th of the season.
Freeland allowed three runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The Braves led 3-2 heading into the seventh and scored four times off reliever Justin Lawrence. Whit Merrifield led off with a walk, Eli White singled and Soler hit his first homer of the game. Riley and Matt Olson doubled to make it 7-2.
Soler’s second homer, a solo shot in the eighth, gave Atlanta an 8-2 lead.
Victor Vodnik gave up a single to Marcell Ozuna — his second hit of the game — leading off the ninth but got Olson hit into a double play and struck out d’Arnaud to earn his eighth save of the season.