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Braves rally to take down Rockies

Jul 22, 2011 - 12:50 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Brooks Conrad homered and Nate McLouth added an RBI triple as part of a four-run seventh inning, and the Atlanta Braves downed the Colorado Rockies, 9-6, in the finale of a four-game set.

Matt Reynolds (0-2) entered the seventh with a 6-5 lead, but allowed Conrad's game-tying solo shot to left. After an Alex Gonzalez double, McLouth pushed the eventual winning run across the plate with a sinking liner to right, which fell under the glove of the sliding Seth Smith.

Matt Lindstrom entered and allowed McLouth to cross the plate on Wilkin Ramirez's fielder's choice groundout while Jason Heyward's double scored Ramirez and sealed the final margin.

A beneficiary of the late rally, Tommy Hanson (11-5) earned the win despite allowing a season-high six runs in as many innings.

Craig Kimbrel worked around a walk in the ninth inning to earn his 30th save, tying a club rookie record for most rescues in a season.

Heyward went 2-for-5 with a double and a two-run homer and Freddie Freeman belted a home run for the Braves, who forced a series split with the win.

"It was a fun game and a wild series from start to finish," said Conrad. "It's good to split but obviously we could have played better. But this is a tough place to play games and we'll take it."

Dexter Fowler had a two-run triple and Carlos Gonzalez added a homer for the Rockies, who have dropped four of their last six.

"We scored all those runs early and had a chance to win three out of four games," said Colorado manager Jim Tracy. "But we pitched terribly here and that will lose you games all the time."

Gonzalez, who hit a two-out, walkoff single on Wednesday, led off the bottom of the first with a line drive shot to right-center, spotting the Rockies an early 1-0 lead.

Fowler extended the advantage an inning later with a triple to right, which plated Ian Stewart and Chris Iannetta.

The next batter, Jhoulys Chacin, whiffed on a squeeze attempt, but the ball bounced out of the glove of catcher Brian McCann, allowing Fowler to cross the plate. Fowler was given credit for a steal of home on the play.

Martin Prado began the third with a walk and Heyward followed with a homer to right to cut the Rockies' advantage in half.

After a McCann fly out, Freeman singled and both Eric Hinske and Conrad walked to load the bases before Alex Gonzalez's force out plated Freeman.

In the fifth, Freeman's one-out homer tied the game.

Later in the frame, with Conrad on second, Chacin was pulled after issuing a two-out walk to Gonzalez.

Matt Belisle spelled Chacin and allowed an RBI single to McLouth, as the Braves took their first lead at 5-4.

Chacin issued a career-high seven walks in the contest and surrendered five runs on four hits over 4 2/3 frames.

The Rockies recaptured the advantage in the sixth, as Troy Tulowitzki led off with a single and scored on Smith's triple. Two batters later, Iannetta lifted a shallow fly to center and Smith barely slid in ahead of McLouth's throw for a 6-5 advantage.

Game Notes

In the fifth inning, Carlos Gonzalez aggravated a right wrist injury when he fouled a ball out of play. He was sent to the hospital for an MRI...This was the final meeting of the season between the Braves and the Rockies. Atlanta won six of the eight contests...Kimbrel tied Kelly Ligtenberg for the club rookie record for most saves in a season. Ligtenberg accomplished the feat in 1998.