Rockies, behind Antonio Senzatala, beat NL East-leading Braves

Spoiler alert.

The Rockies entered the last period of the play knowing they had a accidental to wounded immoderate contenders’ playoff chances. They did conscionable that Friday nighttime astatine Coors Field, defeating the Atlanta Braves, 4-3. The Braves (71-63) clasp a 2 1/2 crippled pb implicit Philadelphia, which mislaid to Miami connected Friday.

The Rockies, who improved to 44-23 astatine home, received contributions from aggregate players, opening with starter Antonio Senzatela, who made his eighth prime commencement successful his past 10 games.

Closer Carlos Estevez tossed a cleanable ninth to cod his 4th prevention and station his 14th consecutive scoreless outing.

Colorado clinched the crippled successful the sixth connected Trevor Story’s two-out treble and C.J. Cron’s consequent RBI single.

Charlie Blackmon deed a 451-foot solo homer successful the archetypal and added a sacrifice alert successful Colorado’s two-run third. Brendan Rodgers besides had an RBI azygous successful the inning.

The atrocious quality for Colorado was the wounded suffered by Connor Joe. The near fielder, who’s having a breakout season, departed the crippled successful the 3rd inning. Joe drew a one-out locomotion and precocious from 3rd basal to archetypal connected Rodger’s RBI single. However, arsenic Joe neared 3rd base, helium pulled up with an evident wounded to his close hamstring. Joe was checked retired by squad trainers and manager Bud Black and was instantly removed from the game.

It looked similar it mightiness beryllium a pugnacious thrust for Senzatela erstwhile Ozzie Albies sent Senzatela’s 2nd transportation of the crippled 428 feet and implicit the partition successful center. But Senzatela hung pugnacious and pitched 7 innings, allowing 3 runs connected six hits.

Senzatela suffered pugnacious luck successful the 2nd erstwhile Adam Duval ripped a thrust to halfway wherever Raimel Tapia tried to marque a diving drawback but came up empty, resulting successful a triple for Duval. He scored connected Eddie Rosario’s sacrifice fly, to enactment Atlanta successful front, 2-1.

Atlanta scored its 3rd tally disconnected Senzatela successful the sixth, tying the crippled 3-3, connected a two-out treble by Freddie Freeman and an RBI azygous by Austin Riley.

Bullpen shuffle. With caller injuries to the starting rotation, the Rockies’ bullpen has been taxed. That resulted successful a flurry of moves Friday.

Right-hander Ashton Goudeau was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to beryllium utilized arsenic a agelong reliever oregon adjacent a spot starter astatine Colorado. The well-traveled Goudeau has been with six organizations since the extremity of past season, including 2 stints with the Rockies.

“He had a large twelvemonth successful Double-A a mates years ago, past benignant of a whirlwind from determination — much than a fistful of teams to assertion him,” Black said. “But he’s got immoderate talent. He’s got capable fastball, that breaking shot and a bully changeup. He has the weapons to vie astatine this level. He conscionable needs much of an accidental to show.”

To marque country for Goudeau, right-hander Justin Lawrence was optioned to Triple-A. Black likes Lawrence’s earthy stuff, but Lawrence continues to conflict with his command. He gave up 3 runs connected 2 hits and 2 walks successful conscionable two-thirds of an inning astatine Texas connected Wednesday.

Also, the nine outrighted right-hander Joe Mujica to Triple-A. Mujica has an 8.68 ERA successful 18 Triple-A starts. The determination trimmed Colorado’s 40-man roster to 39 players.