ATLANTA — In a strong performance, Spencer Strider achieved his first victory of the season with an impressive 13 strikeouts, contributing to the Atlanta Braves’ 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday. Ronald Acuña Jr. continued his solid form with two hits, one of which was a two-run homer.
The loss deepened the Rockies’ struggles, giving them the worst record through 70 games in modern baseball history. Now standing at 13-57, Colorado surpassed the 1932 Boston Red Sox, who were 14-56, for the poorest 70-game start since 1901. The Rockies set a new organizational low with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, which also marked a record for the Braves in such a contest.
The Braves, showing a newfound spirit, have taken back-to-back series victories after experiencing a downturn that put them 10 games under .500 while losing six series in a row. They have outscored the Rockies 16-5 across the first two matchups of this series, coming off a high-scoring 12-4 triumph on Friday night.
Strider (1-5) dominated in only his sixth start post-injury list activation on May 19, conceding just three hits and one walk over six innings.
Highlighting a pivotal moment in the game, Acuña, who is hitting .387, launched a two-run homer against Chase Dollander (2-7) in the second inning. This marked his seventh home run in just 20 games after returning from a major knee surgery that kept him sidelined for nearly an entire season. The powerful hit traveled 410 feet, landing in the Rockies’ bullpen beyond the left field wall.
Strider showcased his rejuvenated form as his fastballs were clocked at 97 and 98 mph early on, indicating a compelling return to his pre-injury prowess from when he underwent elbow surgery in 2024. Despite his velocity dropping to 95 and 96 mph by the fifth inning, Strider maintained the strikeouts steadily.
Looking ahead, Atlanta’s Grant Holmes (3-5, 4.07 ERA) is set to face Colorado’s Austin Gomber (5-12, 4.75 ERA) in the final game of the series on Sunday. Initially slated, Chris Sale’s start for Atlanta has been postponed to the next game.