The Atlanta Braves are playing really good baseball right now.
Freddie Freeman homered for the third time in two games, Dan Uggla homered, doubled and walked twice and Derek Lowe came up with the big hit courtesy of a bases-clearing double. The Rockies battled back, but the Atlanta bullpen was too much for them to overcome.
Lowe wasn't sharp on Tuesday, but we worked through 5.1 innings and gave up five hits and three walks, most of which coming after he had to run the bases following the double. He struck out four and improved to 5-6 on the season with the victory. George Sherrill, Cory Gearrin, Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel combined to work the final eleven outs and allowed just three hits and a walk.
Jhoulys Chacin is typically dominant on the mound, but he struggled mightily with his control tonight and it ultimately led to his demise. He allowed just four hits in five innings, but walked six Braves, a team that generally doesn't take many walks. He struck out five and fell to 8-6 on the year.
Freddie Freeman provided the early scoring for the second game in a row, this time on a monster solo-home run to center field to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Derek Lowe came up to the plate in the fourth with the bases loaded and drove a 2-2 fastball down the left field line to clear the bases.
The Rockies battled back in the fifth. Jhoulys Chacin recorded his first RBI of the season with a ground out to second base and Charlie Blackmon drove in Ian Stewart with a single to right field. Chris Ianetta cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth with an RBI-single to left.
Dan Uggla came up with a much needed insurance run and blasted the first pitch of the sixth inning more than 400 feet to the left field seats. That was all the scoring the Braves would need with their bullpen in the game.
Eric O'Flaherty worked a scoreless seventh, Jonny Venters worked around a walk and single to get out of the eighth and Craig Kimbrel recorded his 26th save of the season while striking out two.
The Braves have clinched at least a series split with the victory and improved to 51-36 this year. Atlanta will go for the series victory Wednesday evening at 7:10. It'll be MLB's wins and ERA leader Jair Jurrjens against the struggling Aaron Cook.