DENVER _ The sixth inning has doomed the Braves in each of the first three games of their four-game series against the Rockies, and Saturday it also ruined what had been a strong performance by Matt Wisler.
Wisler was pitching a two-hitter and had a 3-2 lead until the sixth inning, when the Rockies scored five runs to send them to an 8-4 win, their eighth in a row against the Braves at Coors Field. The Braves have lost 13 of their past 15 games against the Rockies and need a win Sunday afternoon to avoid being swept again.
Rockies rookie sensation Trevor Story had career-highs of four hits and five RBIs including two homers, giving him 26 homers for season, two more than the previous National League record for rookie shortstops. That was held by ex-Rockie Troy Tulowitzki. Story had a two-run single in the game-turning sixth inning.
Bit on to the sixth. Three straight nights, the Braves were tied or led after five innings, only to see the Rockies dominate the sixth to turn the games around.
In Thursday's series opener, it was a scoreless game before Carlos Gonzalez hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning off Braves starter Mike Folynewicz, who didn't make it out of the inning. The Braves lost, 7-3.
The Braves led 1-0 through five innings Friday, before the Rockies scored four runs in the sixth inning on two-run homers by Nolan Arenado and Story. The Braves lost, 4-3.
And then Saturday, when Wisler (4-10) was throwing a two-hitter and the Braves led 3-2 through five innings.
The Rockies scored five runs in the sixth against three pitchers before the second out of the inning was recorded. A one-run lead became a 7-3 deficit in a span of six batters: DJ LeMahieu one-out walk followed by Arenado's single, Gonzalez's RBI double off the center-field wall and Story's two-out single, which ended Wisler's night.
In came left-hander Ian Krol, who walked the next two batters and threw a wild pitch before giving up a two-run single to Tony Wolters. Krol left the game without recording an out, and rookie Mauricio Cabrera entered to mercifully end the inning by retiring the next two batters on a strikeout and ground out.
For Wisler, what had looked like an encouraging night quickly turned into a third consecutive start in which he allowed at least five earned runs and pitched 51/3 or fewer innings. He was chard with five hits, six runs and two walks in 51/3 innings with three strikeouts. Both Wisler and Rockies starter Tyler Anderson, a rookie lefty, stayed in the game after a 47-minute rain delay before the third inning.
Wisler, in his first full season, is 2-5 with a 7.40 ERA in his past nine starts while allowing 68 hits and 13 homers in 482/3 innings.
He had four consecutive quality starts in the middle of that stretch, but has allowed five or more earned runs in each of his last three starts. Wisler has given up 16 earned runs and six homers in 151/3 innings over those past three starts.
Through five innings Saturday, the Rockies' only two hits against him belonged to Story, including a two-run homer in the second inning. Story homered on a slider with Wisler ahead in the count, 1-2, after Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk.
In the Rockies scoring blitz in the sixth inning, Story's third hit sent Wisler to the showers, and his fourth hit was a leadoff homer against Jim Johnson in the eighth inning.
The Braves had the potential tying run at the plate in the eighth, with two runners in scoring position and one out, trailing 7-4. But Ender Inciarte struck out and Anthony Recker grounded out.
