Rox storm back in 7th to stun Braves' Miller
ATLANTA -- Jose Reyes' two-run triple capped a four-run seventh inning that extended Shelby Miller's winless streak to 18 starts and propelled the Rockies to a 6-3 win over the Braves on Wednesday night at Turner Field.
Miller had retired 14 consecutive batters and held a 3-0 lead before he surrendered five hits, including three extra-base hits, during Colorado's decisive seventh. Ben Paulsen and Brandon Barnes recorded doubles ahead of Reyes' triple off Miller, whose winless streak now stands as the longest ever by an Atlanta pitcher in one season.
"We missed a couple of opportunities early on, and when that happens, you're always wondering if you're ever going to get another one for the rest of the game, especially against a guy like Miller," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "You're hoping another opportunity shows up at that point, and when it did, we took advantage of it."
Rockies starter Yohan Flande exited after allowing the Braves to begin the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back homers from Jonny Gomes and Adonis Garcia, and Jace Peterson's ground-rule double. But Atlanta was unable to do any further damage as Colorado's bullpen escaped bases-loaded threats to end both the sixth and seventh innings, with closer John Axford stranding two baserunners in the ninth for his 18th save.
Video: COL@ATL: Axford fans Ciriaco to end game, earn save
"[Miller] was lights out the whole ballgame," Peterson said. "We go up right there and we get three runs. We could have gotten more, but we didn't. That's baseball and it happened. But hopefully, we can get him a win his next time out."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Barnes a noble: Barnes came into the night batting .111 with four hits in August. He nearly matched that total, going 3-for-4, with a two-run homer in the eighth inning that gave the Rockies some breathing room. Barnes finished a triple short of the cycle in recording his second multi-hit game of the month, and fourth three-hit game of the season, his first since July 18. More >
Video: COL@ATL: Barnes belts two-run shot in the 8th
Out of nowhere: Miller needed 37 pitches to complete the first two innings and he escaped a bases-loaded threat in the second inning with Charlie Blackmon's double-play groundout. He then found a groove, retiring 14 straight batters through the sixth. But he encountered some tough luck in the seventh, as Barnes' double bounced in front of diving left fielder Michael Bourn and Blackmon's two-out RBI single bounced high off the plate, creating no chance for an out. This marked just the fifth time Miller has received at least three runs of support during his winless streak. More >
Video: COL@ATL: Blackmon plates Descalso with infield single
"I just got in a rough area and the momentum kept going for [the Rockies]," Miller said, after allowing more than three earned runs for just the fifth time during the streak.
Video: COL@ATL: Miller strikes out seven over 6 2/3 innings
Reyes of hope: Reyes had driven in more runs at Turner Field than any other visiting park, yet, was 1-for-11 in the series before he delivered his decisive seventh-inning triple. The Rockies shortstop now has 27 RBIs in the 76 games he's played in Atlanta.
Great penmanship: The Rockies' bullpen didn't allow a run in the entire three-game series, covering nine innings. On Wednesday, they turned the momentum, by escaping the bases-loaded jams in the sixth and seventh innings. Colorado's relievers entered Wednesday with a National League-high 4.96 ERA.
Video: COL@ATL: Diaz escapes bases-loaded jam in the 7th
QUOTABLE
"That's what happens with this lineup. We have a pretty good lineup, and when one guy gets going, it picks up the next guy and the next guy gets going. We feed off each other." -- Barnes, on the four-run rally in the seventh inning
"I haven't seen anything like this before, but by no means is this guy having a bad year." -- Gomes on Miller, who is 5-11 with a 2.62 ERA through 26 starts
Video: COL@ATL: Gomes, Garcia go back-to-back in the 6th
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
When Colorado second baseman DJ LeMahieu batted cleanup, it made him the first Rockies player ever to hit in all nine positions in a season and the first player to do so in the National League since Will Venable did it for San Diego in 2013.
Video: COL@ATL: Maybin covers 80 feet on great diving catch
WHAT'S NEXT
Rockies: Colorado has an off-day on Thursday then heads to Pittsburgh for a three-game weekend series with the Pirates to wrap up its six-game road trip. First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. MT.
Braves: Atlanta will welcome Brian McCann and the Yankees to Turner Field for a three-game series that begins on Friday at 7:35 p.m ET. This will mark the first time McCann has played in his hometown since he left the Braves as a free agent after the 2013 season. Williams Perez will face New York's Masahiro Tanaka in the series opener.
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