Brenton Doyle homers and scores go-ahead run as Rockies hand Braves 6th straight loss, 6-5

DENVER (AP) — Brenton Doyle homered and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to help the Colorado Rockies beat the slumping Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Friday night.

Atlanta has lost six in a row to drop out of an NL wild-card spot a week after it was challenging the first-place Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. Not even facing a Colorado team they were 13-1 against since the start of 2022 helped the Braves get out of their funk.

“It’s a performance-based job and when we can’t come out here and produce and win games, it’s frustrating,” Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic said.

Atlanta had won nine in a row against the Rockies since Sept. 5, 2021, including seven straight at Coors Field, but couldn’t extend the streak after another short outing by a starter.

Grant Holmes grinded through five innings, the deepest a Braves pitcher has gone during their current skid. Holmes gave up five runs and six hits while striking out eight and walking three but was spared a loss when Atlanta’s offense erased a 5-2 lead in the seventh. Ramón Laureano hit a solo homer and Jorge Soler followed with a two-run shot to tie the game 5-5.

It was Soler’s first home run since being acquired from San Francisco and his 13th of the season.

Doyle and Ryan McMahon led off the bottom of the seventh with consecutive doubles off A.J. Minter (5-4) to push Colorado back in front.

“I wouldn’t call it a bad outing, just a bad result,” Minter said.

Kelenic led off the ninth with his third hit and was at third when Colorado’s Victor Vodnik struck out Austin Riley to clinch his seventh save.

“It’s been tough,” Riley said. “There’s no other way to put it, it’s just been tough. I had two opportunities to score two runs and didn’t get it done.”

Tyler Kinley (5-1) got the win with an inning of relief.

Colorado rookie Tanner Gordon was denied his first win in the majors after five solid innings. Gordon gave up Marcell Ozuna’s solo home run in the first, his team-leading 34th, but shut out Atlanta for the next three innings.

The Braves got another run in the fifth on a double and two bloop singles, but Gordon struck out Ozuna with runners on the corners to cap his night. He allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked none.

Doyle’s two-run homer in the third, his team-leading 20th of the season, and an RBI single by Brendan Rodgers made it a 3-1 lead and Colorado tacked on two more in the fourth.

Doyle joined a group of former Rockies players with 20 home runs and 20 steals in one season that includes Hall of Famer Larry Walker.

“I like being in that company,” Doyle said. “That’s pretty cool.”

LHP Max Fried (7-6, 3.40) will get the start for the Braves on Saturday while the Rockies are expected to recall RHP Dakota Hudson (2-12, 5.84) from Triple-A.

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