ATLANTA _ The Braves paid Josh Donaldson $23 million for swings like Sunday's.
An afternoon of offense favored the Rockies, 6-5, in the eighth. The Braves had two on with two out, Donaldson at the plate. Three pitches later, he skied one into the outfield seats.
Thanks to Donaldson's heroics, the Braves avoided a sweep, defeating Colorado, 8-7. It snapped the Rockies' eight-game winning streak in Atlanta and provided a feel-good win the Braves sure needed.
Attention has centered on the struggling bullpen, putting more pressure on the Braves' offense to deliver. It did enough Sunday, with four homers.
Ozzie Albies had one of his dynamic days that brings back memories of last April. He belted a leadoff homer and cranked out another in the third to tie the game. He has five homers, tied with Freddie Freeman and Donaldson for second-most on the club (Ronald Acuna, six).
Speaking of Freeman, his own solo shot extending his on-base streak to 27, tied for the longest mark to begin a season in Atlanta-era franchise history. In a season that's hoisted no shortage of inconsistencies, the Braves can at least rely on Freeman's steady hand.
But Donaldson deserves the spotlight. He's had a quiet start, with spurts of power scattered between o-fers. There are times when he's showcased his MVP resume, though not at the length for which fans have clamored.
His biggest signature moment came in the ninth, when he awarded the Braves a much-needed win to stop a skid and a swift reminder that this team is as tenacious as any.
Kevin Gausman, starting for the first time against his hometown team, took a beating. After a pair of scoreless innings, his undoing began in the Braves' usual fashion: A walked hitter.
Tony Walters took his base and was bunted over by pitcher Tyler Anderson. Charlie Blackmon singled him home before Trevor Story's double placed two in scoring position. Daniel Murphy took Gausman deep, his second homer in as many days, and a 3-0 lead transformed into a 4-3 deficit.
The teams traded sacrifice flies after Albies' second homer, creating a 5-5 tie in the fourth.
Gausman gave way to Dan Winkler for the sixth. And just as Story did a night ago, Ian Desmond homered off Winkler, putting the Rockies ahead. Desmond, who was having a horrific year entering the series, was a thorn in the Braves' side, notching a couple hits and scoring two runs.
For as criticized as the bullpen is, the Braves' failure with runners in scoring position is staggering. They were 6-for-50 in that category in the past five games. Johan Camargo stranded five in two innings Sunday. Despite the homers, the Braves missed opportunities that could've put the game out of reach.
The Braves host the now-formidable Padres for four before embarking on a three-city trip (Miami, Los Angeles, Arizona) on Friday.
