Matt Olson hit a grand slam and two-run shot to drive in a career-high six runs, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 11-8 in Denver on Saturday night.
Jorge Soler had three hits, including a homer, and Marcell Ozuna also went deep for Atlanta. Pierce Johnson (5-4) got the win in relief and Raisel Iglesias picked up his 24th save.
The Braves ended a six-game losing streak and beat Colorado for the 14th time in the past 16 games.
Rockies batters struck out 14 times despite Sam Hilliard driving in a career-best five runs with a homer and two doubles. Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle and Brendan Rodgers had two hits each for Colorado.
Hilliard gave the Rockies the early lead with his fourth home run, a three-run blast in the second inning, but Atlanta sent 10 men to the plate in the third against Dakota Hudson.
Ramon Laureano singled and Hudson walked the next three batters to drive in a run to make it 3-1.
Hudson fanned Ozuna but Olson hit a 3-2 fastball off the facing of the second deck in right to put the Braves in front 5-3.
That ended Hudson’s day after he allowed five runs on three hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings.
Colorado answered in the bottom of the inning with Hilliard’s two-run double to center to tie the score 5-5, but Ozuna put the Braves back in front with a solo homer in the fifth, his 35th of the season.
Atlanta tacked on two more runs in the sixth to lead 8-5, but the Rockies answered in the bottom of the inning with Ezequiel Tovar’s two-run double and an RBI single by Doyle.
That took a win away from Braves starter Max Fried, who allowed five runs (four earned) and struck out nine in five innings.
Olson put Atlanta back in front with his second homer, a two-run shot in the seventh inning off Angel Chivilli (0-1). It was his 20th of the season.
Soler’s solo homer in the eighth, his 14th of the season, extended the lead to 11-8.
–Field Level Media
