DENVER — The tumbling Rockies created a little bit of history Sunday. Or should we say infamy?
For the first time, Atlanta came into Coors Field and swept a four-game series. Their 8-7 victory on Sunday afternoon sealed the deal.
The Rockies made it interesting late. Charlie Blackmon led off the ninth with a solo homer to deep right off closer Kenley Jason to get the crowd jazzed. But Kenley got Brendan Rodgers to pop out and struck out Ryan McMahon.C.J. Cron’s pinch-hit double put Jansen against the ropes but he got Sam Hilliard to ground out to first baseman Matt Olson to end the game.
Braves hitters had a field day against Colorado pitching, especially Ronald Acuna Jr, who was 4-for-5 with a home run, and Olson, who was 3-for-3 with a home run.
The silver lining for the Rockies was the continuing power surge from Rodgers and rookie catcher Brian Serven. Rodgers, who hit cleanup Sunday, finished a triple short of the cycle. Servin launched a two-run blast off Will Smith in the eighth, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 8-6. It was Serven’s third homer in 12 big-league games.
For the historic record, the Braves had pulled off a four-game sweep in Denver before, back when Sony Walkmans were being sold for $29.98, Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” was a smash hit, and Michael Jackson led the Chicago Bulls to their third consecutive NBA title. For the first time.
The year was 1993, the Rockies’ inaugural season. The venue was the now-defunct Mile High Stadium.
Not to compare the 2022 Rockies to the ’93 expansion team that finished 67-95, but these Rockies have lost 11 of their last 14 games, 20 of their last 27 and are on pace to finish 69-93.
Colorado rookie right-hander Ryan Feltner, hoping to solidify a spot in the starting rotation with a strong performance, did not make a good three-inning impression. The Braves blasted him for six runs on seven hits, including a 441-foot, three-run by Olson in the second inning.
Feltner needed 38 pitches to escape the Braves’ three-run first inning when they sent eight men to the plate. The key hits were an RBI single by Austin Riley and a two-run single by Ozzie Albies.
Charlie Morton, Atlanta’s 38-year-old right-hander, got roughed early but hung tough for five innings, giving up four runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked three.
Morton opened up in ragged fashion. Connor Joe and Yonathan Daza drew back-to-back walks to open the Rockies’ three-run first inning, setting up Rodgers’ two-run double off the left-field wall. Ryan McMahon singled home Rodgers, tying the game at 3-all.
But Morton didn’t relinquish another run until Rodgers launched a 425-foot solo homer in the fifth.
Acuna, who hit his solo homer off Robert Stephenson in the eighth, boosted his batting average from .287 to .313.
After a day off on Monday, the Rockies open a seven-game West Coast road trip on Tuesday at San Francisco. They will play three games against the Giants, followed by a four-game set at San Diego that includes a doubleheader on Saturday.
