Juan Nicasio pitched six shutout innings and got run support via solo home runs from Troy Tulowitzki and Michael Cuddyer as the Rockies evened the series in Atlanta with a 3-1 win over the Braves.
Nicasio and Braves starter Mike Minor each pitched a scoreless first inning, but Cuddyer got the Rockies on the board leading off the second, taking Minor's 3-0 pitch deep into the left-field stands for his fifth home run of the year.
Things were pretty quiet over the next few innings as both Minor and Nicasio settled into a groove, keeping the game at 1-0 for the next several innings.
The Rockies doubled their lead in the sixth, again with the leadoff hitter in the inning. This time it was Tulowitzki, who took Minor's 0-1 pitch and wrapped it around the left field foul pole for his 14th long ball of the season, tying Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the NL lead in that category and giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead.
Despite being squeezed at times by home plate umpire Lance Barksdale, Nicasio was stellar on the day, allowing just two hits in six innings with four walks and five strikeouts. He earned his fifth win of the season and dropped his ERA to 3.61 in his first 10 starts of 2014.
The Rockies extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the seventh when Charlie Culberson doubled, advanced to third on a ground out by DJ LeMahieu and scored when Charlie Blackmon grounded into a fielder's choice. Culberson was initially ruled out on the play at the plate, but a replay review (that took more than four minutes) overturned the call.
Culberson's run chased Minor from the game, he allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits with six walks and three walks and six strikeouts.
The Rockies lost the shutout in the eighth thanks to a B.J. Upton single followed by a double by Freddie Freeman and a sacrifice fly from Justin Upton. LaTroy Hawkins pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 11th save of the season.
The rubber game of the series will be at 3:10 p.m. Mountain time tomorrow as Franklin Morales takes on Julio Teheran.
Source: FanGraphs
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