• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Justin Upton homers twice, Braves sweep Rockies

Aug 2, 2013 - 3:27 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Justin Upton stroked a pair of home runs and finished with five RBI, while Julio Teheran fired five effective innings to help the Atlanta Braves complete a perfect seven-game home stand with a 11-2 triumph over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

Teheran (8-5) tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts while limiting the Rockies to one run on five hits and two walks to notch the victory.

"I was trying to make my pitch, using my four-seamer," Teheran remarked. "It was coming out good from my hand. I felt pretty good."

Teheran also added a pair of hits, including a run-scoring double for the Braves, who wrapped up their second perfect home stand of seven-or-more games in Atlanta history and first since April of 2000, when they swept a nine-game stay against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

Jason Heyward clubbed a two-run homer in the victory and Chris Johnson chipped in with three hits and two RBI to extend his hit-streak to 10 games and push his run of consecutive multi-hit games to seven.

Colorado starter Chad Bettis (0-1) made his major league debut after being recalled from Double-A Tulsa prior to the game and gave up five runs on six hits and five walks over five innings to absorb the loss.

"If we can push the results aside, then it's a great day," Bettis said of his major league debut. "It still is, but we've got a lot of work to do."

DJ LeMahieu collected three hits, including a pair of doubles, while Corey Dickerson and Jonathan Herrera each knocked in a run for the Rockies, who had won three of five before dropping all four games to the Braves.

After Teheran pitched out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the first, the Braves pounced on the inexperienced Bettis in the home half.

The 24-year-old right-hander walked Heyward to start his big league career and served up his first career homer just three pitches later when Upton scorched a 1-1 cutter into straightaway center field to make it 2-0.

Colorado packed the bags again in the second, as Charlie Blackmon and LeMahieu started the frame with consecutive doubles before Dexter Fowler worked a one- out walk to load the bases.

Teheran was unable to escape unscathed this time, as Dickerson fouled off eight straight pitches before lifting a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right center to score Blackmon and bring the Rockies within 2-1.

Teheran evaded further damage by catching Troy Tulowitzki staring at strike three with runners on second and third to end the inning. Tulowitzki thought the pitch was low and argued the call with home plate umpire Marvin Hudson, who promptly ejected the Colorado shortstop.

Teheran helped his own cause in the home half when he followed Andrelton Simmons' leadoff single with a sinking liner into right field that fell in for a double and allowed Simmons to score from first for a 3-1 lead.

Atlanta tacked on two more runs in the fourth, as Teheran led off with an infield single before Heyward scalded a 1-1 curveball into the seats in right to push the margin to 5-1.

Colorado cut into the lead in the seventh on Herrera's two-out single to left that scored LeMahieu, but with runners on the corners and one away in the home half, Johnson laced a base hit to left to restore Atlanta's lead.

Upton put the game out of reach in the eighth when he launched a three-run shot deep into left-center field. Brian McCann added a run-scoring groundout later in the frame before Johnson smacked an RBI single to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Upton homered for the first time since July 9 against Miami and recorded his sixth career multi-homer game ... Bettis is the Rockies' 10th starter this season ... Teheran set his career-high of 11 strikeouts on June 5 of this season against Pittsburgh ... Colorado was without outfielders Carlos Gonzalez (sprained right middle finger) and Michael Cuddyer (family issue) ... Atlanta has won 18 of the last 22 meetings with Colorado, including 12 of 13 at Turner Field ... It was Atlanta's first four-game sweep of the season ... Colorado finished 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.