Braves Bats Wake Up as Elder Settles In to Take Series Opener in Colorado

Apr 28, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Eli White (36) reacts on second ahead of Colorado Rockies second baseman Adael Amador (1) after hitting a double in the third inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves opened their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies with Bryce Elder on the mound and hopes of an early series lead. But it didn’t take long for things to get dicey.

After a quick three-up, three-down from the Braves’ offense to start the game, Elder ran into trouble immediately. Jordan Beck doubled, Ryan McMahon walked (despite batting just .160 coming in), and DH Hunter Goodman—who’s been swinging a hot bat—made Elder pay with a three-run bomb to left. Just like that, it was 3-0 Rockies.

Luckily, Elder stopped the bleeding there, and despite a sluggish offensive start, Atlanta would soon find its rhythm.

Signs of Life in the Third

Elder settled down for a clean second inning, and then the Braves finally showed some fight in the top of the third. Eli White led off with a double, Nick Allen moved him over, and Alex Verdugo—still absolutely locked in—delivered an RBI single.

Riley followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and Marcell Ozuna’s deep sac fly trimmed the Rockies’ lead to 3-2. Elder kept the momentum going by escaping another jam in the bottom half, striking out Goodman and inducing yet another groundout.

A Tie Game and a Turning Point

Atlanta kept chipping away. After a few more singles and smart baserunning—including Michael Harris II stealing second and scoring on a dribbler from Allen—the Braves tied things up 3-3 in the fourth.

From there, Elder kept rolling. A leadoff single didn’t faze him, especially with Sean Murphy flashing the cannon behind the plate to catch a runner stealing. Elder would escape again without damage, showing the poise that Braves fans love to see.

The Fifth Inning Surge

In the fifth, the Braves' offense finally broke through. Singles from Ozuna and Albies set the table, and Harris came up clutch with a two-out, two-run double. That gave Atlanta a 5-3 lead, chasing Rockies starter Ryan Feltner from the game.

Elder, meanwhile, continued his redemption story by breezing through the bottom of the fifth on just eleven pitches.

Keeping the Pressure On

The Braves added some insurance in the seventh. After Olson walked and advanced on a wild pitch, Sean Murphy knocked him in with a two-out single to make it 6-3. It wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly the kind of smart, opportunistic baseball Atlanta needed.

Pierce Johnson shut down Colorado in the bottom half with a clean seventh, and Eli White and Verdugo kept applying pressure with more base hits in the eighth, although the Braves couldn’t cash in.

Locking It Down

Daysbel Hernández took over for Elder in the eighth and ran into early trouble—giving up a double and a walk—but he worked out of it brilliantly with a flyout, a strikeout, and a scary but manageable lineout to Matt Olson.

In the ninth, the Braves couldn’t add any more runs, so it was time for closer Raisel Iglesias to do his thing. Even though the Rockies made a little noise with a two-out double, Iglesias slammed the door shut with a three-pitch strikeout to secure the 6-3 win.

Elder’s Bounce Back and a Team Effort

After a brutal first inning, Bryce Elder gave Atlanta exactly what it needed: six innings, three earned runs, five hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Solid and steady after a shaky start.

The bullpen backed him up perfectly, and the offense racked up 14 hits, getting production throughout the lineup. In short: a great team win.

The Braves and Rockies are back at it again tomorrow night at 8:40 PM EDT. Same time, same place. Game broadcast can be watched on FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast and listened to on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan.