DENVER _ Julio Teheran pitched brilliantly in the hitter's haven that is Coors Field on Monday night, but the Braves wasted several scoring opportunities before everything went awry in an eighth inning that saw the bullpen falter and a bouncing grounder get past shortstop Dansby Swanson.
Swanson's play _ initially ruled an error _ on a Gerardo Parra ground ball in the eighth inning allowed the first run and the Rockies added two more in the inning to come away with a 3-0 win to open a four-game series at the ballpark where the Braves have not won in more than three years.
The scoring decision was changed before the game had even ended, with Parra awarded a hit.
After Teheran pitched seven scoreless innings, reliever Rex Brothers gave up a triple to the first batter he faced in the eighth, former Georgia Tech player Charlie Blackmon. After intentionally walking D.J. LaMahieu to try to set up a double play, Brothers induced a bouncing grounder that Swanson tried to field to his right side to be in position to throw, but the ball skipped off the lip of the infield and past him.
Blackmon scored on the play and Brother was replaced by another former Rockies reliever, Jason Motte. He walked the next batter, Mark Reynolds, and Carlos Gonzalez made him pay with a two-run single to center.
Teheran allowed just four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in seven innings and 110 pitches, but he couldn't do it alone. The Braves have lost 11 consecutive games at Coors Field including four-game sweeps each of the past two seasons.
Teheran did some of his most impressive recent work in the seventh inning after Gonzalez led off with a single off Teheran's glove and stole second base before Jonathan Lucroy walked. With two on and none out in a scoreless game, Teheran struck out Pat Valaika, got pinch-hitter Nolan Arenado to pop out foul to first base and struck out pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista.
But his spot in the lineup was up to start the eighth and he was at 110 pitches. The Braves pinch-hit for him.
Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis turned in an inspiring performance in his first major league start since having testicular cancer surgery last fall and undergoing radiation treatments until mid-May. He pitched seven scoreless innings, worked out of serious jams in three of them, and gave up six hits and no walks with two strikeouts.
The game was only moments old when the Braves had their first scoring opportunity as Ender Inciarte led off with a hit to left field that got past Gerardo Parra and rolled to the warning track. Inciarte never slowed as he rounded third, getting the go sign from coach Ron Washington, and was thrown out on the relay from shortstop Trevor Story. Inciarte was credited with a triple.
They had prime opportunities to score in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings, but the Braves couldn't get a run across in any of those innings after getting one-out doubles from Nick Markakis in the fourth inning and Swanson in the fifth, then a leadoff double from Kurt Suzuki in the seventh.
Suzuki advanced to third on a Danny Santana sacrifice bunt before rookies Ozzie Albies and Swanson each flied out to center field, with Albies' high-fly not deep enough for Suzuki to attempt to score.
The Rockies threatened in the third inning after Story reached on a leadoff bloop single and pitcher Chad Bettis drew a walk on three consecutive balls after Teheran was ahead in the count 1-2. Teheran then struck out hot-hitting leadoff man Charlie Blackmon before DJ LaMahieu hit a line drive that second baseman Albies and shortstop Swanson turned into a nifty double play. Albies snaring it and threw to Swanson, who had gotten to the base before Bettis could dive back.
An inning later, LaMahieu returned the favor, saving a run when he made a diving stop to his left on a two-out Santana grounder and threw to first for the out. Markakis had been running from third on the play and would've given the Braves a 1-0 lead if the ball had gotten through or away from LaMahieu.
Teheran was 1-6 with a 5.86 ERA in his past nine starts including 0-4 with a 7.00 ERA in his last five before Monday, when he got no decision. He had allowed eight homers in his past four starts _ giving him a career-high 28 allowed _ including six homers in 11 innings in his past two road starts at Philadelphia and Dodger Stadium, but turned in a gem of a performance at a ballpark where his three previous starts included one terrific outing, one terrible, and one injury-shortened.
After going 6-0 with a 2.53 ERA and seven homers allowed in his first nine road starts, he was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his past two road starts before Monday, when he got back into his road-warrior thing, but had to settle for no decision in a loss. The Braves last won a game at Coors Field on June 10, 2014.
The Rockies came in with a 35-21 home record, third-best in the National League, and 14-4 in the first game of home series. Their 65-52 record before Monday was the best in franchise history through 117 games, and they were tied with Arizona atop the NL wild-card standings.
Bettis received a big ovation from the Coors Field crowd when he walked to the mound to start the game. Braves manager Brian Snitker said earlier in the day that Bettis' recovery from cancer should make folks appreciate what's important.
"How fragile life is," Snitker said. "You're never guaranteed tomorrow. I've been through some of those situations, not personally but have had family members go through things like that. So in the big scheme of things this (baseball) is just a small part of it. But it's great, it's cool to see a guy who's been through everything he has get back out there."
