DENVER (AP) — Marcell Ozuna hit his 30th homer, Charlie Morton threw six innings of one-run ball and the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 3-1 Tuesday night for their 16th win in 21 games.
Major league-best Atlanta improved to 86-45, including 6-0 against the Rockies with a 57-17 run margin. Colorado, which has lost 12 of its last 12 against Atlanta. is an NL-worst 49-83, assured of its fifth straight losing season. The Rockies have lost eight of nine overall.
Ozuna homered for the fifth time in eight games, a solo drive in the second off Peter Lambert (3-5), and added an RBI single in the fifth. Sean Murphy had an RBI single in the second.
Morton (14-10) allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked one. He pitched 19 scoreless innings before Harold Castro’s RBI groundout in the second.
Ronald Acuña Jr. went 2 for 5 for his major league-leading 57th multi-hit game this season. He remained one home run shy of becoming the first player Lwith 30 homers and 60 stolen bases in a season. He came close to accomplishing the feat in the fourth inning with a 418-foot shot to deep center field, but Brenton Doyle caught the ball against the wall.
Atlanta outhit Colorado 15-3 but stranded 12 runners.
Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save in 28 chances.
Lambert gave up three runs and nine hits in five innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: OF Michael Harris II was tended to by an athletic trainer after running into the outfield wall trying to catch a triple by Goodman in the second inning, but remained in the game.
Rockies: Recalled RHP Gavin Hollowell from Triple-A Albuquerque and optioned RHP Karl Kauffmann to Triple-A.
UP NEXT
LHP Kyle Freeland will take the mound for Colorado Wednesday against a yet-to-be-determined starter for Atlanta in the third and final game of the series.
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