The kids were more than all right. They were slump busters.
Rookie starter Chase Dollander baffled the Braves, and rookie reliever Zach Agnos shut them down in the ninth for his first career save as the Rockies finally found a winning formula.
Their 2-1, white-knuckle victory over Atlanta snapped an eight-game losing streak and closed out a miserable April with a desperately needed W.
Brenton Doyle‘s one-out, solo homer off Atlanta ace Chris Sale in the third inning turned out to be the game-winning swing. Doyle rocketed the veteran lefty’s 1-1 fastball 421 feet and into the left-field bleachers.
For 5 2/3 innings, Dollander went toe-to-toe with Sale, the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner. Dollander was pulled from the game with two outs in the sixth because of an apparent finger blister. At that point, Colorado led the Braves 2-1.
Making his fifth career start, Dollander allowed just two singles, struck out four and walked three. Two of the walks came in the sixth inning when Dollander’s finger appeared to start bothering him.
A leadoff walk to Drake Baldwin cost Dollander in the third. Nick Allen followed with a single to right, advancing Baldwin to third. Baldwin scored on Michael Harris’ groundout to second.
Third baseman Ryan McMahon‘s diving stop and perfect throw to first on Allen’s hot shot down the line saved a run in the fight for Colorado.
The Rockies got to Sale in the second for a 1-0 lead. Hunter Goodman singled up the middle and Michael Toglia‘s double to left sent Goodman to third. Sean Bouchard’s single to short scored Goodman.
Sale had pitched in relief at Coors but had never started at the hitter-friendly ballpark. The lefty was excellent: seven innings, two runs allowed on five hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts. He punched out Jordan Beck and McMahon three times each.
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