Rockies crumble in homestand opener, blow 6-0 lead in falling to Braves

DENVER — Rockies Report, Game 33:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: In the first inning, everything went right. The first six Colorado batters reached base — one via a leadoff walk, another via a bunt single and four others via base hits. Three runs scored before the Braves recorded an out; two more came home after a rare throwing error from Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson. Atlanta pitcher Grant Holmes, making his Coors Field debut, appeared to be struggling with the dry air and the problems posed by elevation and the outfield expanse.

By the time the second inning was complete, the Rockies led 6-0, Mickey Moniak had his ninth home run of the season — a second-deck wallop — and the Rockies looked poised to add another impressive home win atop a home slate that included a split with the Los Angeles Dodgers and a sweep of the Houston Astros.

SECOND. DECK. MONIAK. pic.twitter.com/7TE3nx8XjI

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 2, 2026

But just as they frittered away the series and homestand finale against San Diego eight days ago after a leadoff walk and a three-consecutive groundball singles led to an unraveling for reliever Victor Vodnik, the Rockies fell apart.

Leading 6-1 heading into the seventh inning, the Braves stormed back against the Rockies’ bullpen, with the hammer blows coming via a bases-clearing triple from Mauricio Dubon off Jaden Hill in the eighth and a two-run pinch-hit homer from Michael Harris II at the expense of Juan Mejia in the ninth, dooming Colorado to an 8-6 defeat in front of 23,548 onlookers.

Walks were the pulled thread that unraveled the Rockies on Friday night. Zach Agnos opened the eighth inning by walking Ronald Acuña Jr. before rallying to strike out Drake Baldwin. But a 3-2 walk to Ozzie Albies followed, causing Warren Schaeffer to signal for Hill, who surrendered a 3-2 walk to Olson, the fearsome slugger who clubbed his 10th homer of the season in the fourth inning.

Five pitches later, Atlanta center fielder Maurice Dubón sliced a line drive into the right-field corner, clearing the bases. He slid into third with a triple. Austin Riley brought him home with a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

After the Rockies petered out in the bottom of the eighth after Troy Johnston hit into a 4-6-3 double play following a leadoff plunking of Tyler Freeman, Mejia entered fort the ninth and immediately walked Atlanta catcher Jonah Heim. Braves manager Walt Weiss — returning to his old Coors Field stomping grounds as the man in charge of the Atlanta dugout for the first time after eight seasons as bench coach under Brian Snitker — summoned for Harris, limited to a pinch-hitting role due to a leg injury that kept him out of center field.

Four pitches later, Harris golfed a Hill sweeper into the right-field stands. Harris later said the only question he had was whether he hit it TOO high and got too much under it, but it cleared the wall, and the Rockies were doomed.

Schaeffer didn’t think the walks were a matter of his pitchers nibbling and trying to walk too fine a line.

“Our guys haven’t done that this year — much — so, I’m going to say ‘no’ to that,” Schaeffer told media after the game. “I can see what you’re saying in terms of maybe the history of this ballpark, but this is the big leagues, and you can’t be scared. And I don’t think that Agnos or Jaden Hill or Juan were scared tonight.

“They just didn’t throw strikes when strikes were needed. They’ve been good all year.”

But not good enough Friday against the team with the best record in Major League Baseball to this point in the season.

Colorado fell to 14-19.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Against an Atlanta offense that seemed to lose its patience, Jose Quintana settled into a groove after allowing the first two batters of the game to reach base via a single by Acuña and a pitch that got away and hit Baldwin. He ended up scattering five hits over six innings of work, with only Olson’s fourth-inning home run causing any palpable damage.

It was easily Quintana’s best performance of the season. After the early plunking, his control was pinpoint; he didn’t walk a single Brave over the course of his efficient, 85-pitch effort. It should have been good enough to square his record at 2-2, aside from the afore-mentioned collapse.

“He’s just a professional pitcher,” Schaeffer said. “I don’t care where it’s at, if it’s here in Coors or at sea level, he knows how to pitch, and he keeps guys off-balance with all his stuff.”

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Moniak grounded out to shortstop with Brenton Doyle on first base to squelch any hopes of a ninth-inning comeback.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 1 — Rockies hits after the third inning. They had seven in the first three innings.

WHAT’S NEXT: Game Two of the series on Saturday night. Atlanta will start 2024 Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale. Colorado’s starter is officially to be determined, but Chase Dollander is expected to pitch extensively. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. MDT at Coors Field.

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