DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon ran hard to first because he wasn’t sure his line drive would get over the fence. When it bounced just over the scoreboard he settled into a home run trot and into a mob of teammates at the plate.
McMahon’s hit — a two-run homer in the ninth — lifted Colorado to a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday and ended the Rockies’ four-game losing streak.
McMahon saw two fastballs from Jerry Blevins before hitting the third one just over the scoreboard in right for the second game-ending homer of his career.
“He’s kind of a funky lefty, has a little crossfire and he went two fastballs to me early, which I thought was kind of weird,” said McMahon, who has 18 homers this season. “I felt like it was a little too predictable for it to be a curveball next pitch. I was looking for something over the plate and put a good swing at it.”
Blevins said it was poor location that gave McMahon something to hit.
“I wanted to go down and away and I left it up and in the middle,” he said. “That was on me.”
Nolan Arenado started the inning with a walk off Anthony Swarzak (1-2) and Blevins fanned Daniel Murphy before McMahon’s homer.
“I dropped my bat and started running,” McMahon said. “I didn’t know right away so I wanted to make it to second base.”
Jairo Diaz (5-3) blew the save in the ninth but got the win.
Monday was a makeup from the April 10th game postponed due to inclement weather and forced Atlanta to crisscross the country.
The Braves, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped, traveled to Denver on Sunday night after playing in New York, and right after the game boarded a plane for Toronto to take on the Blue Jays.
“You don’t belabor or dwell on because it’s what we signed up to do,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s not going to be all the time. We have an off day in two days. It isn’t like we came out here and now have to play 25 in a row.”
Colorado starter Tim Melville pitched five scoreless innings and now has allowed just one run over 12 innings since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque last week. The 29-year-old journeyman was pitching in the Atlantic League this spring before signing a minor league deal with Colorado.
He escaped a run in the fourth when Freddie Freeman was thrown out at home trying to score from second, and in the fifth he walked Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies to load the bases but got Freeman to ground out to end another threat.
“I had Albies and Acuna 0-2 and lost them,” Melville said. “That’s something you don’t want to have happen so you step off the mound and take a deep breath. That’s what did it right there. We executed and got out of that inning.
Atlanta starter Julio Teheran didn’t allow a run over six innings and has a 13-inning scoreless streak.
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the eighth on Charlie Blackmon’s sacrifice fly but Atlanta tied it in the ninth when pinch-hitter Adeiny Hechavarria drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: SS Dansby Swanson was activated from the 10-day injured list and was in the starting lineup on Monday. Swanson had been out since July 24 with a bruised right heel. OF Adam Duvall was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to make room for Swanson.
Rockies: RHP German Marquez and OF Raimel Tapia were placed on the 10-day IL before the game. Marquez (right arm inflammation) entered Monday leading the NL in innings pitched with 174 and is second in games started at 28. Tapia (left hand contusion) suffered in the injury in St. Louis over the weekend. Colorado recalled LHP Phillip Diehl and RHP Joe Harvey from Albuquerque.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Mike Soroka (10-2, 2.41) will open a two-game interleague series at Toronto on Tuesday.
Rockies: Have not named a starter for Tuesday’s game against Boston. Marquez was slated to start before being placed on the IL.
