Travis d’Arnaud hit a pair of two-run homers to back the strong pitching of rookie Jared Shuster and help the Atlanta Braves beat the visiting Colorado Rockies 8-1 on Friday.
The Braves have won the first two games of the four-game series, extended their winning streak to four games and have won 11 of their last 13. The Rockies have dropped three straight games and nine of 12.
D’Arnaud hit a two-run shot in the first inning, measured at 474 feet, for the 100th home run of his career. He followed it with a two-run homer in the third, giving him four for the season. It was his seventh career multi-homer game.
Eddie Rosario added another two-run homer in the fourth inning, his 10th, which carried 443 feet.
Atlanta has 15 home runs that have carried 450-plus feet this season, four shy of the record set since the Statcast era began in 2015.
The Braves have scored 32 runs on 39 hits over their last four games.
Shuster (4-2) has won four straight and is 4-1 since being recalled and inserted into the starting rotation on May 16. He worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run on five hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
The Atlanta bullpen finished the game without allowing a run. Kirby Yates worked 1 1/3 innings and struck out three. Ben Heller made his Braves’ debut after being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday and pitched the final two innings, striking out five.
Losing pitcher Dinelson Lamet (1-4) gave up a season-high eight runs on five hits — three of them homers — a season-high five walks and five strikeouts.
The Rockies loaded the bases and scored their only run in the sixth inning when Randal Grichuk grounded into a fielder’s choice. Nolan Jones walked to load the bases, but Yates came in and ended the threat by striking out Jorge Alfaro.
–Field Level Media