Nick Allen had three hits, Michael Harris II produced a tiebreaking two-run double in the fifth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 in Denver on Monday night.
Eli White, Alex Verdugo and Sean Murphy had two hits each for Atlanta, and Bryce Elder tossed six solid innings. Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save as the Braves won for the eighth time in 10 games.
Elder (1-1) allowed just three runs on five hits and struck out four to earn his first win of the season.
Hunter Goodman homered and Jordan Beck doubled twice for Colorado, which lost its seventh in a row and has started its homestand with four consecutive defeats.
Colorado starter Ryan Feltner (0-2) allowed five runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out four in 4 2/3 innings.
The Rockies got off to a quick start against Elder. Beck doubled with one out in the bottom of the first, Ryan McMahon walked and Goodman hit the first pitch from Elder into the seats in left to give Colorado a 3-0 lead.
It was Goodman’s fifth home run of the season.
Atlanta chipped away. White led off the third inning with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Verdugo’s base hit. Austin Riley singled Verdugo to third, and Marcell Ozuna’s sacrifice fly made it 3-2.
The Braves tied it in the fourth when Harris reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, went to third on White’s infield single and scored on Allen’s dribbler down the first base line.
Atlanta went on top in the fifth. Ozuna and Ozzie Albies singled, and after Murphy fanned for the second out, Harris doubled to right-center field to bring home both runners and chase Feltner.
Colorado threatened in the sixth inning when Michael Toglia singled with one out and Mickey Moniak laced a ball to the warning track in right field, but White made a leaping catch in front of the wall for the second out.
Atlanta tacked on a run in the seventh on Murphy’s RBI single.
