Atlanta Braves vs Colorado Rockies

The game — delayed at the start by rain — unfolded as a classic pitchers' duel. The Rockies, forced to use a bullpen game after scratching scheduled starter Ryan Feltner, sent six different arms to the mound. Zach Agnos opened with 2.2 scoreless innings, followed by Nick Frasso, Brennan Bernardino and former Brave Jimmy Herget, who combined to keep Atlanta off the board through seven.

Atlanta starter Martín Pérez was equally sharp, working 5.2 innings of one-run ball. He struck out six and walked just one until the sixth inning, when he lost his command. Pérez issued a leadoff walk to Hunter Goodman, then surrendered a single to TJ Rumfield before another free pass loaded the bases. Willi Castro singled through the infield to plate Goodman for a 1-0 Rockies lead — the only hit Pérez allowed with runners on.

Brent Suter relieved Pérez with the bases loaded and escaped the jam, stranding three Rockies to keep the deficit at one. Suter then worked a clean seventh on four soft grounders, including an inning-ending double play.

The Braves finally broke through in the eighth against Jaden Hill (0-3). Olson led off with a single, and Dubon followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners with one out. After Ozzie Albies grounded into a fielder's choice, Harris II stepped to the plate with two outs.

On a 1-1 pitch, Harris II drove a double to the gap that a diving Rockies outfielder got a glove on but could not hold. Both Olson and Dubon scored easily to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. It was Harris's 32nd double of the season and gave him 77 RBIs.

Didier Fuentes worked a nervy ninth for the save. He walked leadoff man Zac Veen on a pinch-hit appearance, struck out Mickey Moniak, gave up a single to Troy Johnston, then struck out Veen and got Ryan Ritter to line out to end the game.

Michael Harris II (CF, Braves): 2-for-4 with a double and the game-winning 2 RBIs. Harris has now driven in runs in three consecutive games and is hitting .296 with an .820 OPS on the season.

Martín Pérez (SP, Braves): 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO, 77 pitches. The left-hander lowered his ERA to 3.05 but took a no-decision after being lifted in the sixth.

Brent Suter (RP, Braves): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO. The veteran lefty retired seven of the eight batters he faced, earning his second win in the process.

Willi Castro (3B, Rockies): 1-for-3 with the game's only RBI off Pérez. Castro is hitting .263 on the season.

The box score tells the story of missed opportunities and timely hitting. The Braves out-hit the Rockies just 6-8, but made their hits count in the one inning that mattered. Atlanta went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, but that one hit — Harris's eighth-inning double — accounted for both runs. The Rockies went 1-for-7 with RISP and left nine men on base, including three stranded by Pérez's exit in the sixth.

Pérez threw 65% of his pitches for strikes (50 of 77), generating seven ground-ball outs to just two fly-ball outs, a pattern of weak contact that kept the Rockies off the board until his control wavered. The Braves' bullpen trio of Suter and Fuentes combined for 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits but stranding three.

The Rockies' six-pitcher bullpen day worked for seven innings before Hill, the seventh pitcher of the day, finally cracked. Hill faced eight batters, allowed three hits and two walks, and took the loss.

The Braves have won six straight — including a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the first two of this three-game set with Colorado. At 81-55, Atlanta has the second-best record in the National League and has opened a comfortable lead in the NL East. The Rockies (52-84) remain in the NL West basement, 29 games under .500.

Atlanta will go for the sweep on Sunday, August 30, at 1:35 PM ET at Truist Park.

This was not a highlight-reel win. The Braves' offense was quiet for seven innings against a collection of Rockies relievers, but Atlanta's pitching — Martín Pérez, then Brent Suter, then Didier Fuentes — was just stingier. Games like this, won on a single swing of the bat in the late innings, are exactly what separates a contender from a team playing out the string.