Teheran finally wins again at home as Braves top Rockies
The Atlanta Braves pitcher snaps his skid of nine straight losses at Sun Trust Park.
ATLANTA — All Julio Teheran needed to snap an Atlanta-record home losing streak was a visit from the Colorado Rockies, one of his favorite opponents.
Teheran won at home for the first time in four months, Matt Kemp and Kurt Suzuki hit home runs and the Atlanta Braves beat Chad Bettis and the Rockies 5-2 on Friday night.
Teheran (8-11) snapped his streak of nine straight home losses, the longest in Atlanta history, as he limited Colorado to two
runs and five hits with no walks in 7 1/3 innings.
“He’s been tough on the Rockies for his entire career,” Colorado outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “He did a great job mixing his pitches.”
Teheran improved to 5-1 in eight career starts against the Rockies and has sometimes been dominant even when he hasn’t won. He threw seven scoreless innings while receiving a no decision in the Braves’ 3-0 loss at Colorado on Aug. 14. He took his plan from that performance into Friday night’s game.
“I don’t feel I have to change anything,” Teheran said. “I just kept the same plan and it worked today.”
Teheran, the two-time All-Star expected to be Atlanta’s ace in its rebuilding phase, said “It feels pretty good” to finally win at home. He might have lasted longer if not for problems with cramping that led to his exit in the eighth after throwing 88 pitches.
Kemp and Suzuki each hit first-pitch homers off Bettis (0-1).
Kemp hit a two-run shot in the first and Suzuki led off the second with a line-drive shot over the left-field wall. Kemp had three hits. Mark Reynolds hit his 27th homer in the seventh for Colorado. Bettis, making his third start since his return from surgery and treatment for testicular cancer, allowed five runs in five innings. Arodys Vizcaino pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Teheran beat San Diego in his first start at Sun Trust Park on April 14. The right-hander was 0-9 with a 7.37 ERA in his next 12 home starts. He is 6-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 12 road starts.
“I’m just really glad to see him go out and have an outing like that here,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
The Rockies have lost five of six but still hold one of the two NL wild cards.
As part of Major League Baseball’s first Players Weekend featuring nontraditional uniforms, Braves players wore dark blue shirts with red sleeves, numbers and caps and white pants. The Rockies’ road gray uniforms had light purple sleeves, numbers and caps. Teheran, who wore his initials “JT” for his jersey nickname, gave up Charlie Blackmon’s run-scoring single in the third but then allowed only one baserunner the next three innings.
Trainer’s room
Rockies: Blackmon fell while suffering from cramping in his left leg after taking a big swing on a foul ball in the eighth. He left the game with a trainer. Pat Valaika replaced Blackmon and struck out. Manager Bud Black said he hopes Blackmon can play tonight.
Braves: LHP Ian Krol (left oblique strain) and RHP Luke Jackson (right shoulder strain) could be ready to come off the DL on Sept. 1, when rosters are expanded . ... INF Johan Camargo (right knee bone bruise) still is not able to make cuts in his workouts.
Eight was enough
Craig McMurtry (1984) and Shelby Miller (2015) each lost eight straight home games for Atlanta.
Color their world
Players took advantage of the freedom to add more color. Colorado’s Bettis, Reynolds, Jon Gray and Raimel Tapia and Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies were among players to wear multicolored striped socks. Ender Inciarte wore gold cleats. Gonzalez had his face painted on the sweet spot of his bat, which also had purple trim.
Up next
Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.71) allowed three runs on four hits in six innings in a no-decision against Atlanta at Coors Field in the Braves’ 4-3 win on Aug. 15.
Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb (2-7, 4.13) will face Freeland in a matchup of rookie left-handers. Newcomb will try for his second straight home win after throwing five scoreless innings in an 8-1 win over the Reds on Sunday.