Harris homer leads Braves’ hit parade as Braves win 80th game and series opener versus the Rockies

· Yahoo Sports

Aug 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) celebrates with center fielder Michael Harris II (23) after a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You can’t get a high-octane, 1-0 complete game every night. The series opener for Braves-Rockies was always bound to feel different than this last few nights versus Los Angeles, and boy, did it deliver on that front.

The swing-happy Rockies collected eleven singles and one double off of the Braves pitching staff. But the Braves weren’t going to be outdone Friday at home, where they’ve been dominant. They outhit and outscored the Rockies by two for fourteen hits and a final score of 6-4 to secure their 80th win of the season.

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It was a quiet first frame as each starter began the game with a 1-2-3 inning. Grant Holmes issued a leadoff walk to TJ Rumfield followed by a single to Willi Castro, but got out of it with a Mickey Moniak lineout and a Connor Norby double play.

“Cleanup man” may just be the psychological trick needed to get Ronald Acuña Jr. going. He led off two innings anyway, but the reset / new mentality seemed to make all the difference as he ended up 3-for-3 on the evening. His great night began with a leadoff walk in the second. He then scored from first on a double off the bat of Michael Harris II, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead. 

Mauricio Dubón’s productive out moved Harris to third before Mike Yastrzemski battled for nine pitches before he whiffed for strike three. But Harris wouldn’t be stranded – Sean Murphy, in a bit of deja vu from Wednesday, laced one down the third base line juuust fair for a double to make it 2-0.

Don’t look now, but Ha-Seong Kim has now reached base three straight games after being hit by a pitch. We take those.

Drake Baldwin drove in his fellow catcher on a single to center field to extend the lead to 3-0 before Ozzie Albies flew out to end the inning. A crooked number for the Bravos? Is that allowed? 

Holmes worked around a Zac Veen leadoff single in the top of the third before setting down the next three Rockies in order.

Ronald’s first hit of the night came in the bottom of the third with a single to center field. He advanced to second on a Harris sac bunt and scored on a Dubón single. 

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Holmes allowed a couple more singles in the top of the fourth, but a nice Ozzie/Kim play and two other groundouts helped him escape.

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Grant was not so fortunate in the top of the fifth. Consecutive singles by Veen (again) and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar set the table for Jake McCarthy’s sac fly to end the shutout and make it 4-1. 

Two more singles by Cole Carrigg and Hunter Goodman kept the line moving. Seemingly aware it was not our usual infielders and alignments, there was a weird vortex that appeared between Dubón at third and Ha-Seong Kim at short. Goodman’s hit deflected off of both of their gloves before rolling into left field. 

All of a sudden, Colorado had chipped away enough to make it a one-run ballgame at 4-3. Holmes settled down to get Castro to fly out and end the fifth, closing the book on tonight’s outing: 8 hits (all singles), 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts on 84 pitches.

But the Braves would get some of those runs right back. Our outfielders combined for our first multi-run home run in a while: Ronald doubled to right, and once again got to trot home to score on a blast to the Chophouse by Money Mike. Dubón’s single prompted Warren Schaeffer to make a pitching change.

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Tomoyuki Sugano exited to the dulcet tones of Ke$ha proclaiming that this place was “about to blow”. With the field awash in red light, Mark Manfredi entered to stop the Braves from adding on any further. He struck out pinch-hitter Lane Thomas, got Murph to fly out sharply to center, and Kim to pop out to short to end the rally with the Braves leading 6-3.

Dylan Dodd allowed a leadoff double to Moniak to start the sixth, but put up another zero with a swinging strikeout and two flyouts.

After a Baldwin lineout and Ozzie taking a risk on a hustle double that did not work out, Matt Olson finally decided to join the party with a single to right, followed by Ronald’s second single. But Manfredi got Harris to line out sharply to left to end the sixth, keeping the Braves off the board for his two innings of relief. 

Ray Kerr entered to face the top of the Rockies order in what ended up being an eventful seventh inning. He hit McCarthy and got Carrigg to fly out. But a single to Goodman and a walk by Rumfield loaded the bases, prompting a mound visit from Jeremy Hefner. Castro’s sac fly made it 6-4 before Moniak’s strikeout ended the inning.

Murphy hit a two-out single off new reliever Juan Mejia in the bottom of the seventh, but nothing else of note occured.

Victor Mederos jogged out of the bullpen for the eighth inning. Veen worked a walk between Norby groundout and flyout by pinch-hitter Troy Johnston. But a McCarthy single put runners at the corners. A diving play by Ozzie / flip to Olson on a ground ball hit by Carrigg was challenged by Colorado. We all braced for the replay center to overturn the out call and allow the Rockies to add another run, but New York was on our side for this one (!) and we moved right on along. The home half of the eighth ended expeditiouisly as Brennan Bernardino set down our top three in order. 

Raisel Iglesias came into the ninth with the two-run lead and set to face the heart of the Rockies order. Team home run leader Goodman did not hit a dinger, thankfully, but a freak single off his bat allowed him to reach. But our own home run leader can also pick it with the best of them – Olson started a beautiful double play to send Goodman and Rumfield back to the visiting dugout and bring Castro up as the last hope for the Rockies.

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More defensive magic in the form of an Ozzie Albies diving play for out number three sealed this one for the Braves. 

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With a final score of 6-4, that extends Atlanta’s win streak to five games, is the 80th win of the season, and improves the Braves’ home record to 46-23, which is the best in baseball. Most excitingly? Every Brave except Lane Thomas (who had two ABs after hitting in Yaz’s spot) and Ha-Seong Kim had a hit tonight. Here’s hoping that this upward offensive trend continues.

The Braves will return to action tomorrow afternoon with Martin Perez on the mound for the 4:10 pm ET start.

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