TAKEAWAYS: Braves hang on for 3-1 win in game two at Colorado

Atlanta pounded out 15 hits, but only plated three in a low-scoring affair a Mile High

The Braves threatened to blow it wide open throughout the game tonight, but never did. Still the efforts of Charlie Morton, Marcell Ozuna, and the bullpen made the three runs stand up. Here are some takeaways.

Ducks on the Pond

It was one of those nights as far as sequencing goes. The Braves had at least one runner on base in every inning tonight, but somehow the Rockies' beleaguered pitching staff only yielded three runs. All nine Braves position players recorded at least one hit, with five guys getting at least two. (Michael Harris II got three.) There was also a walk and a hit batsman mixed in there. But the Rockies picked Ronald Acuña Jr. off to kill one threat, threw out Orlando Arcia at the plate to kneecap another, and just generally danced on the razor's edge all night.

Acuña hit a 415-foot fly out at one point. Harris played it safe by stopping at second with two outs in the eighth when he probably could've had a triple, only to then not score on Acuña's following infield single before being stranded at third. (And Acuña's ball drives Harris in from second if it doesn't clip the pitcher on the way through the box.) It was just one of those frustrating nights, but credit to the Braves - they made it work. That was thanks largely to...

Ozuna from the Braves

Marcell Ozuna stayed hot, going 2-4 with a solo homer (his 30th of the season) and an RBI single. Those accounted for two of Atlanta's three runs, with an Eddie Rosario triple and Sean Murphy single tallying the other. For Marcell, he continues to absolutely rip. Since May 1st, he's hitting .295 with a .936 OPS and a wRC+ of 148. Those rate stats remain consistent if you track back to June 1st or July 1st, but since August 1st, look out. Ozuna is hitting .358 in August, with an 1.104 OPS and a wRC+ of 194. And that doesn't include tonight's action. 

He looked like roadkill for most of last season, during April of this season and again shortly before the trade deadline. And while some fans will likely still have complicated feelings about his presence on the team, he's been a huge part of what the Braves have accomplished this season and will likely play a major role in the team getting where they want to go in September and October.

Uncle Charlie

While his resurrection isn't quite as extreme as Ozuna's, Charlie Morton has found the magic again after a dire run of starts through late July and early August. He's thrown his fastball less often of late, and mixing in his cutter and change-up more to pair with his famous curveball has contributed to a dominant run over his last three outings. Now, granted, those outings came against the Yankees, Mets, and Rockies, but Charlie was struggling to even throw strikes consistently before.

This Charlie has now allowed one run over his past four starts (including that fluky start at the Mets where he walked everyone in Queens and somehow didn't allow a run), and he's struck out 29 over his past three outings versus just four free passes. There's a lot of season left, but this Uncle Charlie is the one the Braves want to give the ball to in October.

Sweet Relief

The Braves' bullpen is good. It might not always seem that way, what with the occasional meltdown and some head-scratching usage (see Sunday night's game), but Alex Anthopoulos and his compatriots have assembled an enviable array of arms. Pierce Johnson, acquired from these Rockies last month, has dominated since leaving his hometown club. The prodigal son returned home tonight and cruised through a 12-pitch 1-2-3 seventh inning. A.J. Minter got the ball for the third time in four days in the eighth, and he was similarly efficient, again using just 12 pitches to mow the top of the Rockies' order down.

Raisel Iglesias shook off Kyle's best jinxing efforts and delivered yet another no-drama save, needing just 14 pitches to stroll through the heart of the Colorado lineup. Again, this Rockies team can't hit, which is baffling considering who we're talking about, but it's not just the Rockies this 'pen has done this to. Most teams look offensively challenged when they have to deal with the high-leverage Braves relievers. This coming series against the Dodgers in L.A. might challenge that notion, but the Braves' pitching staff (starters and relievers) are in about as good a form as you can hope for heading into the weekend.

On Deck

The same two teams will wrap up this series tomorrow night at Coors Field. This was the first game between the two clubs that wasn't a total wipeout, with the Braves on the cusp of sweeping the season series against the Rock Show. It's just been reported that righty Darius Vines will get the ball for the Braves tomorrow in his major league debut. He's started nine games for three different minor league affiliates this season and has allowed 13 earned runs in 43.1 innings. Opposing him will be southpaw Kyle Freeland, who's 5-13 on the season, with a 5.00 ERA, 5.25 FIP, and 5.13 xFIP. He's been much better than that for most of his career, but it's been a rough 2023 for him (and for the Rockies in general).

First pitch is again scheduled for 8:40 Eastern. The TV broadcast will be on Bally Sports South throughout Braves Country and MLB.tv nationally. The radio call is available in the Atlanta metro area on 680 The Fan, across the Southeast on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network, and nationally on MLB.tv.

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