ATLANTA — The Rockies’ first and only sweep of the Braves at Turner Field came on Sept. 12-14, 2007, the first year of the Atlanta ballpark’s existence. Colorado will never get another chance to sweep here again, because the Braves move into SunTrust Park for the 2017 season.
The Rockies certainly had their chances to leave Atlanta in a blaze of glory. After winning the first two games of the series, they played the Braves to a 0-0 tie through eight innings Sunday but ended up losing 1-0 in the ninth on Chase d’Arnaud’s walk-off single off reliever Gonzalez Germen. Colorado had its chances to win the game in both the eighth and the ninth innings, but DJ LeMahieu grounded out sharply to first baseman Freddie Freeman to start a double play in the eighth, and Mark Reynolds grounded out to third baseman Adonis Garcia for another double play to end the Colorado ninth.
“We had a couple opportunities, especially late,” manager Walt Weiss said after the Rockies fell to 6-12 in one-run games. “But they got two big double plays on us. DJ hit that ball really hard, but right at Freeman, and they ended up getting the double play.”
Boone time. During Boone Logan’s first two years with the Rockies, there was plenty of reason to wonder why the Rockies signed the left-handed reliever to a three-year, $16.5 million deal, the largest contract the club had ever given to a reliever. Logan’s injured elbow made him a shadow of the pitcher the Rockies thought he would be.
Now, in what is probably Logan’s final season with Colorado, he has emerged as one of the best left-handed specialists in baseball. He has a 2.84 ERA in 37 appearances spanning 25 1-3 innings. Batters have managed just a .170 batting average against him.
“I’m able to command my slider so much better than I had been,” Logan said. “When you can put your best pitch where you want to, it makes all the difference.”
Unless the Rockies find a way to sneak into the playoff hunt, there is a chance Logan could be traded before the Aug. 1 nonwaiver trade deadline.
“He’s come a long way,” Weiss said. “He’s got some deception, and a lower arm slot that makes him even tougher on lefties, but he’s also pitched with his fastball better this year. He’s gotten some strikeouts on his fastball. Last year, he had to get you on his slider or he wasn’t going to get you.”
Footnotes. The Braves posted a 1-0 walk-off victory for just the third time in their history at Turner Field. … The Rockies were blanked for the fifth time this season. … With Jon Gray pitching seven scoreless innings Sunday, Rockies starters have compiled a 3.46 ERA and eight quality starts in July. … Atlanta first baseman Freeman has a history of punishing Colorado pitching, but he went 0-for-11 in the three-game series and struck out four times Sunday. His four whiffs in the series finale tied his career high.
Looking ahead …
Rays LHP Drew Smyly (2-10, 5.47 ERA) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (1-3, 3.03), 6:40 p.m. Monday, ROOT; 850 AM
Anderson missed the entire 2015 season with an elbow injury, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t get better. “Tyler pitched 200 innings in his mind,” manager Walt Weiss said. “That’s why he was able to hit the game running this year.” Anderson is coming off the first win of his major-league career, an 8-3 win over Philadelphia in which he allowed two runs on nine hits over six innings. He also got his first hit, as well as his first home run. Smyly is struggling for the the awful Rays, having allowed at least four earned runs in seven of his last eight starts. In his last outing, a loss to the Angels, he was charged with seven runs (four earned) on eight hits and three walks over four innings. —Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Tuesday: Rays LHP Blake Snell (1-4, 3.69 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (8-5, 3.29), 6:40 p.m., ROOT
Wednesday: Rays RHP Chris Archer (4-13, 6.68) at Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (6-6. 5.50), 1:10 p.m., no TV
Thursday: Braves RHP Mike Foltynewicz (3-3, 3.70) at Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (7-6, 5.55), 6:40 p.m., ROOT
