|
 The Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 3-1 behind Floyd
(1-2), who allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings on a home run by Corey
Dickerson.
The loss was the 14th in 17 games for the Rockies (29-34), who were
held to four hits. They are 1-6 on this current 10-game homestand.
The Braves (33-29) are trying to regain some traction after starting
the month with four losses in six games following a 13-16 May.
Floyd's last victory was Oct. 3, 2012, while pitching for the
Chicago White Sox. His six-game losing streak began with them and
dated back to April 2013 before he underwent Tommy John surgery to
repair both a torn ulnar collateral ligament and a torn flexor
tendon in his right elbow. After signing a minor league contract
with the Braves in December, Floyd made his 2014 debut May 6.
He came into this game 0-2 but with a 2.80 ERA in six starts and
surprised Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez by stopping in his office
after the game and asking for the lineup cards. As well as Floyd had
been pitching, Gonzalez didn't realize this was Floyd's first
Atlanta victory, hence his postgame request.
 "It's my (first) Braves win, so I wanted to keep it," said Floyd,
who threw 60 of 95 pitches for strikes. "It's a memory. Especially
after a full year off and coming back, I'm just thankful to get my
first one, and hopefully, I'll roll with it."
In his major league debut, Christian Bergman (0-1) allowed two runs
on five hits and two walks in six innings with four strikeouts as he
threw 89 pitches, 59 strikes.
"I thought Bergman was outstanding," Rockies manager Walt Weiss
said. "Certainly pitched well enough to win, but we got shut down by
Floyd."
Floyd (1-2) who got 10 outs on ground balls, held the Rockies
scoreless until Dickerson led off the seventh with a home run, his
eighth of the season. Floyd retired the next two batters he faced
but walked DJ Lemahieu. When left-handed hitting Ryan Wheeler came
up to pinch hit, Gonzalez brought in left-hander Luis Avilan.
Weiss countered with right-handed hitting Brandon Barnes.
Right-handers were batting .406 (13-for-32) against Avilan compared
to .222 (10-for-45) for left-handers.
Barnes bounced a hit up the middle, saw no one covering second base
and extended it to a double. But Charlie Blackmon, a left-handed
hitter, hit a bouncer back to Avilan to end the inning.
"That was a big out there to get us the ball to (Shae) Simmons,"
Gonzalez said, referring to the hard-throwing reliever who made his
major league debut May 31 and has made six scoreless appearances,
totaling 4 1/3 innings. He retired the side in order in the eighth,
ending the inning by striking out Troy Tulowitzki on a seven-pitch
at-bat.
"Tulo in my opinion is one of the best players in baseball, and he
went right at him," said third baseman Chris Johnson, who had three
hits and drove in two runs. "It was pretty cool to watch."
Adam Ottavino issued a leadoff walk to Justin Upton to open the
eighth. He broke for second on an 0-1 pitch and scampered to third
when catcher Evan Gattis singled to left, extending his hitting
streak to 10 games. Johnson made it 3-1 when he lined a first-pitch
single up the middle.
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Craig Kimbrel, the fourth Braves pitcher, earned his 17th save in 20
chances. He issued a two-out walk to Charlie Culberson but struck
out pinch hitter Wilin Rosario on an 84 mph slider to end the game,
preceding that pitch with a 97 mph fastball.
Atlanta right fielder Jason Heyward opened the game by reaching on
shortstop Tulowitzki's error. Bergman then retired the next nine
batters before giving up his first hit, a leadoff single in the
fourth by center fielder B.J. Upton on a dribbler up the third-base
line. After Upton stole second, Bergman walked first baseman Freddie
Freeman. Left fielder Justin Upton flied to right, and his brother
tagged up and took third.
B.J. Upton scored when Gattis grounded a slow roller to third base.
Johnson followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to make it
2-0.
"Overall it went pretty well," said Bergman, who singled on his
first at-bat for his first career hit. "It's good to get the first
one out of the way. The first two innings, the nerves were there. I
was able to overcome that and settle in the last two innings. The
only thing that would have made it better is if we came out with a
win."
NOTES: Rockies LF Carlos Gonzalez will undergo exploratory surgery
Tuesday on his inflamed left index finger. The procedure will be
performed at the Cleveland Clinic, where he was examined May 29
before going on the disabled list June 4. ... The Rockies placed RHP
Eddie Butler (right rotator cuff inflammation) and RF Michael
Cuddyer (left shoulder strain) on the disabled list. Cuddyer
underwent an MRI that revealed a non-displaced fracture of the
glenoid cavity of his left shoulder and will be in a sling for
six-to-eight weeks before resuming baseball activities. ... Colorado
selected the contract of Bergman from Double-A Tulsa before he
started and made his major league debut. ... To open a spot on the
40-man roster for Bergman, the Rockies designated Triple-A Colorado
Springs RHP Wilton Lopez for assignment. He opened the season with
the Rockies and posted an 11.37 ERA in four relief appearances. ...
Colorado also recalled RHP Chad Bettis from Colorado Springs. ...
Braves RHP Jordan Walden (left hamstring strain) is expected to be
activated Tuesday after making two appearances on a rehab assignment
with Triple-A Gwinnett.
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