Rockies fritter away 4-1 lead in storm of errors, bullpen collapse in Atlanta

ATLANTA — Rockies Report, Game 69:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Leading 4-1 after five stout innings from starting pitcher Germán Márquez, the Rockies looked poised to open their seven-game East Coast road trip with a flourish.

Then a storm — first metaphorical, then literal — hit the Rockies.

In the baseball sense, it came in the form of the slumbering Braves awakening, and doing what nobody had done to Jake Bird in over a month. Then, as a storm settled over Truist Park, the Rockies drowned in a sea of Braves power and their own fielding miscues.

When the waters receded, 11 more Atlanta runs were on the board, inundating the Rox in a 12-4 loss Friday night.

The collapse began with Jake Bird, the lights-out reliever pushing for an All-Star Game appearance who had a rare wobble. After 14 consecutive scoreless appearances, he entered in the sixth and surrendered a leadoff double to Matt Olson before retiring two Braves.

It seemed as though order was restored. But then he walked Sean Murphy and made the mistake he’s avoided — a slider high in the zone. Michael Harris II clobbered it into the Chop House restaurant beyond right field, and the three-run lead was instantly gone.

“Birdman always gets the job done. That’s an abnormality,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Tomorrow, I expect Birdman to get the job done, because that’s what he does. This game is hard. Sometimes it goes against you.”

Sadly for the Rockies, the rest of the game went as one would expect for the now 13-56 side.

They went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh inning.

Victor Vodnik entered as rain began pelting the sellout crowd of 39,303 onlookers. With two on and two out, a 1-0 slider to Marcell Ozuna settled in the heart of the strike zone. And despite his recent struggles with a hip issue, Ozuna crushed it over the left-field wall.

Errors defined the eighth inning, which saw Atlanta pile five more runs onto its total. Ryan Rolison struggled, but he was done no favors as Keston Hiura failed to field a pickoff throw and then misfired on the subsequent throw to second base, resulting in a pair of charged errors on one play. Another error helped bring more runs home.

But the Rockies might have been able to withstand Atlanta’s late avalanche had it better capitalized on Braves starter Bryce Elder’s struggles. Sent down to AAA Gwinnett earlier in the season, Elder’s minimal velocity often leads to big numbers, and Colorado capitalized.

Ryan McMahon opened what would become a 3-for-4 night by bolting Colorado in front 2-0 in the first inning with a two-run blast to center field, his ninth home run of the season. But the Rox would fail to capitalize enough despite producing a parade of baserunners.

The Rox chased Elder after 3 1/3 innings, having tagged him for seven hits. He also walked three and plunked Keston Hiura twice. But Colorado left two men on base in each of the third through sixth innings.

Worst was the second inning, when the Rox loaded the bases with no one out and came up empty.

Colorado also hit into four double plays, the most for the club since July 26, 2022.

“Gotta get the job done execution-wise when runners are aboard,” Bases loaded, no one out, when we don’t get any runs across early in the game, that can change the entire complexion of the game.”

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Márquez couldn’t figure out Ronald Acuña Jr. But there’s really no shame in that, as Acuña has been on a heater since returning Memorial Day weekend from the torn ACL that kept him out for a full year.

Acuña went 3-for-3 against Márquez with a third-inning leadoff double. Every other Atlanta player went 3-for-17 as he confounded the Braves’ lineup, keeping the skidding team in its funk.

Márquez’s knuckle curve was particularly effective; he baffled Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies for consecutive strikeouts to open the fourth inning, two of the seven whiffs he logged.

But the night ended in a no-decision, as the bullpen woes that defined most of Colorado’s recent homestand continued.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson lined a bases-loaded single to shallow right field and Orlando Arcia fired the relay throw to third base into the camera well, resulting in three runs coming home to push Atlanta’s lead to 11-4 in the eighth inning.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 60 — Errors for the Rockies this season, the most in the National League.

NOTES: Acuña nearly went 5-for-5, but Beck made a running, leaping catch to prevent a potential leadoff double in the seventh inning to finally keep the 2023 MVP from getting on-base … The first four spots in Colorado’s lineup — Beck, Thairo Estrada, Hunter Goodman and McMahon — went 8-for-18 (.444) with two walks.

Atta boy, Beck 🫡 pic.twitter.com/ySNiqURn6x

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 14, 2025

WHAT’S NEXT: Chase Dollander will look for his third win of the season as the Rockies look to get back on track.

Atlanta will turn to Spencer Strider, who is winless in his return from Tommy John surgery as his fastball velocity has dropped by four miles per hour from two years ago, limiting his effectiveness. First pitch will be at 2:10 p.m. MDT.

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