COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:
WICKED
- The Colorado Rockies continue their 10-game road trip today with the third of four games in Atlanta … following this series, will travel to Cincinnati for three games … this is the first of two 10-game road trips for the Rockies this season (also: Aug. 4-13).
- Captured the series win over the Red Sox 2-1 despite dropping Wednesday’s contest 6-3 … was the second series win at Fenway Park in franchise history, joining the 2007 club who took two out of three June 12-14.
- The Rockies won three consecutive games Sunday-Tuesday with the winning run scoring in their last at-bat, the first time they’ve had three-straight last at-bat wins since July 4-7, 2010.
- The Rockies are in a stretch of 16-straight days with a game, and 33 games in 34 day overall from May 19-June 21 … are 10-18 through the first 28 games of this stretch.
THAT’S A LOTTA BASEBALL
- Won each of the first two games in Boston in extra innings, their first time playing back-to-back extra innings games since Aug. 20-21, 2022 vs. San Francisco … was their first time winning consecutive extra-innings games on the road since June 14-15, 1998 at San Francisco and at Los Angeles-NL … entering the series, the Rockies had gone a franchise-record 78-straight games without extra innings since Sept. 23, 2022 … their 67 games to begin a season without an extra-inning game marked the third-longest such stretch since 1901, trailing Boston in 2005 (98 games) and the White Sox in 2002 (69 games).
MAC ATTACK
- Ryan McMahon has reached base in 21 of his last 23 with 11 multi-hit games since May 23 … is slashing .368/.461/.701 (32-for-87) with seven doubles, two triple, six home runs, 20 RBI and 14 walks over that span … since May 23, leads the NL in OBP, is second in slugging and OPS (1.162), tied for second in RBI, ranks third in batting average and is tied for third in extra-base hits (15) … his 20 doubles on the season are the fourth-most in the NL.
- McMahon’s 2.4 WAR (Baseball Reference) ranks first among NL players with at least 50% of their games at third base this season with the second-best, Washington’s Jeimer Candelario, clocking in with a 2.1 WAR … his 10 defensive runs saved at third base are the most among third basemen (Sports Info Solutions).
- Since moving from second base to third base on April 18, McMahon has slashed .292/.373/.518 with 17 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 30 RBI.
THIS ‘N THAT
- Since giving up six earned runs through one inning in his season debut on May 21, RHP Matt Carasiti has allowed one earned run (three total runs) through 15.0 innings over nine games since May 24 … his 0.60 ERA through this span is the fifth-lowest among all Major League relievers (min. 10 IP).
- SS Ezequiel Tovar’s 15 doubles since April 26 are tied for fifth-most in the Majors … his 19 doubles on the season are tied for the sixth-most in the NL.
- OF Brenton Doyle swiped his 10th base of the season Thursday in Atlanta, six more than any other Rockie … he is the first Rockie in history to begin his career with 10 steals within his first 38 games with a plate appearance (42 games overall).
MR. JONES
- Since his recall from Triple-A on May 26, Nolan Jones is slashing .338/.408/.588 with five doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI and four stolen bases while recording a hit in 15 of 19 games … ranks sixth in the NL in OPS (.996), tied for seventh in average and ninth in slugging.
- The 25-year-old’s walk-off home run Sunday vs. San Diego was the first of his career, and the first walk-off home run by a Rockie since Elias Díaz on Sept. 9, 2022 … measured at 472 feet, it’s the longest walk-off home run in baseball in the Statcast Era (since 2015) and the eighth-longest overall in the Majors this season.
- Jones also hit a 483-foot home run on June 7, the second-longest home run in the Majors this season … is the only player in the Majors with two of the 10 longest home runs in baseball this season.
- The home run on June 7 was measured at 114.2 mph off the bat, the third-hardest hit home run by a Rockies player in the Statcast Era (since 2015), trailing two Carlos González home runs hit in 2016 (117.4 mph, June 4 at Arizona) and 2018 (114.4 mph, July 31 at Cincinnati).
BABY GOT BACKSTOP
- Rockies catcher Elias Díaz’s .300 batting average ranks seventh in the National League and is the highest among all MLB catchers … his .336 (36-for-107) average at home is the seventh-highest in the Majors while his .365 (23-for-63) average with runners in scoring position is the sixth-highest in the NL.
- Has appeared in 57 games at catcher, the second-most in the Majors … his 12 catcher caught stealing are thirdmost in the Majors.
D-FENCE
- Catcher Elias Díaz’s 1.2 defensive WAR is tied for the fifth-best in baseball (Baseball Reference) while Ryan McMahon’s 1.1 dWAR is tied for thee eighth-highest among all players … SS Ezequiel Tovar’s 1.0 dWAR is eighth-best in the NL.
- Brenton Doyle’s outfield assist Tuesday night was recorded at 99.2 miles per hours via Statcast, the second fastest throw on an outfield assist in the Majors this season … Doyle has three of the top five fastest throws among all outfields assists in MLB in 2023.
ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #43 CONNOR SEABOLD RHP
STARTING THINGS OFF
- Laguna Hills, Calif., native is in his seventh professional season, his first with the Rockies organization.
- Selected by Baltimore in the 19th round of the 2014 First Year Player Draft but did not sign.
- Selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Cal. State Fullerton.
- On Aug. 21,2020 was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with Nick Pivetta to the Boston Red Sox for Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman.
- Designated for assignment by Boston, Jan. 12, 2023 … acquired by Colorado via trade for cash considerations or a player to be named later, Jan. 17.
- Rated by Baseball America as having the best changeup in the Red Sox system in 2021 and best control in 2022 … also ranked by Baseball America as one of the Red Sox top prospects in 2021 (No. 11) and ‘22 (No. 21).
- Made his Major League debut with Boson on Sept. 11, 2021 vs. Chicago-AL.
SHIPPED UP TO BOSTON
- Last time out on Monday, allowed one run over six innings, striking out six and walking one … matched a season-high six innings pitched and six strikeouts.
- First time in his career he has thrown six or more inning while striking out at least six and walking one or fewer.
- Had made six starts with the Red Sox across the 2021-22 seasons, going 0-4 with a 10.55 ERA (21.1 IP, 25 ER) … allowed 38 hits, including six home runs, with 10 walks and 19 strikeouts.
- Made his Major League debut with the Red Sox on Sept. 11, 2021 at Chicago-AL … went three innings and allowed two runs on three hits in a 9-8
Boston win.
SEEING SEABOLD
- Tonight’s outing will be Seabold’s first career appearance against the Braves.
- Has gone 0-1 in two games (one start) against the NL East in his career (all in 2023), posting a 5.14 ERA (7.0 IP, 4 ER),striking out five and walking two. • Has never faced any active Atlanta Braves.
CLICKING
- Has set or matched a career-high in innings pitched in each of his last three starts, pitching 5.1 innings on June 1 at Arizona, completing a career-high six innings in his star on June 7 vs. San Francisco and matched that career-high his last outing on Monday in Boston.
- Has posted a 2.08 ERA over his last three outings (17.1 IP, 4 ER) with 15 strikeouts.
- Allowed two runs on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts his last outing against the Giants at Coors Field … tossed 5.1 no-hit innings before allowing a one-out single to LaMonte Wade Jr. in the sixth inning … exited after facing two batters in the seventh, both of whom reached and came around to score … left with the Rockies leading 4-0.
START YOUR ENGINES
- Earned his first Major League win May 9 at Pittsburgh … allowed one run on three hits with a career-high three walks and three strikeouts across five innings in the 10-1 Rockies win.
- Made his first start of the season May 4 vs. Milwaukee at Coors Field … did not factor into the Rockies’ 9-6, allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and one strikeout in five innings.
ARM BARN
- Made seven relief appearances across two stints this season before joining the rotation … allowed eight runs on 18 hits across 13.2 innings (5.27 ERA).
- Has allowed 3.24 walks per nine on the year.
- Made his first career Opening Day roster this season with the Rockies before being optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 18 … recalled on April 28.
START ME UP
- Has made 14 career Major League starts dating back to his Major League debut on Sept. 11, 2021, going 1-6 with an 6.60 ERA (61.1 IP, 45 ER).
- As a starter, has struck out 48 and walked 25 while allowing 12 home runs.
DOING THE SPLITS
- Posted a 6.35 ERA (22.2 IP, 16 ER) in May compared his current 2.08 ERA (17.1 IP, 4 ER0 in June.
- The first time through the lineup, opponents are hitting .266 (29-for-109) compared to .231 (18-for-78) the second time through and .375 (9-for-24) the third time around.
- Opponents are slashing .274/.349/.469 with no runners on and .255/.324/.408 with runners on base.
ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: The Braves and Rockies today continue a four-game weekend series with the third of seven total games between the clubs this season…. Atlanta and Colorado will next meet for three games at Coors Field, August 28-30.
- The Braves beat the Rockies, 8-1, last night and have won each of the first two games of this series…Atlanta is also 8-1 in its last nine games against Colorado dating to last year.
- Atlanta went 6-1 in seven games with Colorado last season, the Braves’ most wins in a single season versus the Rockies since winning six in every year from 2011-2013.
- Last season marked the first time the Braves won the season set with the Rockies since going 4-3 in 2014…From 2015 through 2021, Atlanta played to just a 12-28 (.300) record versus the Rockies… Colorado played to a .700 winning percentage versus Atlanta in those years, but just a .477 winning percentage overall.
- The Braves won two-of-three with the Rockies here at Truist Park last season, their only series win here since the park opened in 2017…With last night’s win Atlanta improved to just 6-11 (.313) against Colorado here, and the Rockies’ .647 winning percentage in this building is best of any National League team.
- RH Bryce Elder has never faced the Rockies, and has pitched against just one current member of Colorado’s roster…Jurickson Profar is 0-for-2 with a strikeout…The 6-foot-2, 220-pound righthander took his first loss of the season in his last turn, but is 4-1 with a 2.69 ERA (23 ER/77.0 IP) in 13 starts for Atlanta this season.
- RH Connor Seabold has never pitched against Atlanta, nor has he faced a member of the Braves’ roster…The 6-foot-2, 190-pound native of Laguna Hills, CA, is in his first season with the Rockies, and has compiled a 1-2 record with a 4.70 ERA (28 ER/53.2 IP) over 15 total appearances and eight starts.
WIN: Atlanta hit a trio of two-run homers last night to power a win, 8-1, over Colorado…The Braves moved to a season-best 18 games over .500 with the win.
- The Braves scored three runs in last night’s first inning, and Atlanta has scored at least one first-inning run in 30 games this season, most in the majors…The Braves have plated multiple runs in 15 of those innings, one shy of Los Angeles (NL) for the most such occurrences this season.
- The Braves’ 62 total first-inning runs are the most in MLB, edging the Dodgers’ (59).
- The Braves moved to just 5-6 (.455) on Friday night’s with last night’s win…Atlanta was a major-league best 21-5 (.808) on Fridays last year.
- Atlanta scored eight times last night on just seven hits, its first time scoring eight-or-more runs on no more than seven hits since September 26 of last season at Washington (8 runs, 6 hits).
OFFENSE: Atlanta scored eight runs and tallied seven hits last night, and has combined to score 32 runs and collect 39 hits in its last four games.
- Atlanta has scored at least six runs in each of its last four games, tied for its longest such streak this season…The Braves have not had a longer such streak since 2020, when they scored at least six runs in six straight games through late August and early September.
- The Braves’ .876 OPS in the month of June is best in baseball, and Atlanta leads the majors in average (.300), on-base (.363), slugging (.513), home runs (26), runs (89) and runs per game (6.36) for the month.
- Atlanta as a club has combined to produce a majors-best wRC+ of 134 for the month of June, meaning the team as a whole is producing 34 percent above league average this month…That wRC+ is 11 points better than any other club (San Diego, 123).
- Atlanta has scored at least five runs in 11 of its 14 games this month, and is 10-1 when doing so.
- When scoring at least five runs in a game this season Atlanta is 36-3 (.923), the best such record in baseball…San Diego is 27-4 (.871) to rank second… Just two teams in the majors have scored at least five runs more often than Atlanta, with the Dodgers (44 times) and Rays (42) the only ones to do so.
AT HOME: With last night’s win, the Braves improved to 8-1 in their last nine home games, dating to an 11-4 win over the Phillies on May 28…Atlanta is 22-15 overall at home this season.
- Over their first 28 home games of the season, the Braves played to a 14-14 record.
- Atlanta played to a 55-26 (.679) record at Truist Park last season, tied for the third-best home record in baseball for the year…The club won at least 55 home games in a season for just the seventh time in franchise history.
LONG ONES: Travis d’Arnaud homered in the bottom of the first inning last night, sending a ball 474 feet out to left-center…It was the longest homer by a Braves player this season, and the longest of d’Arnaud’s career since tracking began in 2015.
- As a team this year, the Braves have hit 15 home runs of at least 450 feet, easily the most in baseball and nine more than any other club…Colorado and Los Angeles (AL) are the next closest teams with six.
- Since Statcast began tracking in 2015, the most home runs of at least 450 feet by a team in a single season is 19, set by the Rockies in 2021…The most by a non-Colorado team is 15, done by the 2017 Marlins and Yankees and matched by Atlanta already this year.
JUNE BOON: Yesterday’s win moved Atlanta to 11-3 (.786) in the month of June, the best record in baseball… Since 2018, the Braves’ 79-43 (.648) record for the month is best in the majors.
Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #55 Bryce Elder RHP
2023 Record: 4-1, 2.69 ERA • 2022 Record: 2-4, 3.17 ERA
vs. RHB: .248 (38-153), 3 HR • vs. LHB: .233 (33-133), 4 HR
Home: 1-1, 3.30 ERA (17 ER/46.1 IP) • Away: 3-0, 1.76 ERA (6 ER/30.2 IP)
Tonight’s Game
- Set to make his first career start against Colorado and 14th on the season.
- Enters play with 18 consecutive outings of at least 5.0 innings pitched.
- Surrendered a career most five runs while allowing eight hits and a walk with one strikeout, being dealt his first loss of the season in his last start against Washington.
- His 2.69 ERA on the season is the second lowest in the NL among qualifiers.
- Seventh lowest in the majors.
- No Braves pitcher was won the ERA title since Greg Maddux (2.22) in 1998.
- Elder’s 4.89 ERA with ROB is the third lowest in the NL among qualifiers.
- Opponents are hitting .205 against him with runners on base, the second lowest rate it the NL and third in MLB (among QS).
- His 43.2 LOB% is the eighth lowest in the National League (among QS).
- The average launch angle of balls put in play against Elder is 6.80; seventh lowest in the majors and fourth in the NL.
- His groundball rate of 55.7% of balls put in play is the seventh highest in the majors among qualified starters.
- Has recorded an out on 63.1% of those grounders put in play, the sixth highest rate in baseball among qualifiers.
- Elder is pitching to a 1.68 ERA while holding opponents to a .217/.270/.523 line the first two times through the lineup.
- Conversely, owns a 7.23 ERA and hitters have a line of .315/.390/.507 the third time through the order.
- Is 5-2 with a 2.38 ERA over his last 18 games started after being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett for the second time, dating to August 14, 2022.
- His 2.38 ERA is the third lowest among pitchers with at least 15 starts during that span.
- In that stretch, Elder is averaging 6.0 innings pitched per outing, tied for the third highest rate in the National League (min. 15 starts).
- He has five starts in his career of at least 6.0 innings without allowing a run, the most such games in Atlanta franchise history (since 1966) in a player’s first 15 starts…Larry McWilliams (’78) and Ian Anderson (’20-21) both had four such starts.
2023 Recap
- After his outing on May 30, Elder has 15 games of at least 5.1 innings pitched in 20 career starts; tied for second most in Atlanta franchise history through as many games started…Tommy Hanson has the most with 16 through 20 career starts.
- Elder’s 2.30 ERA through 20 career starts is the lowest in Atlanta franchise history to begin a career.
- His 117.1 innings pitched through his first 20 games started were the most by an Atlanta player to begin their career since Julio Teheran in 2011-13.
- His 30 earned runs allowed are also the fewest during that span.
- Elder has held opponents to one run or less in seven games this season while pitching at least 5.0 frames in every outing.
- His 11 appearances of at least 5.0 innings pitched while holding opponents to one run or less are the most through a player’s first 21 outings in Atlanta franchise history.
