Colorado Rockies Remain Powerless Against NL East-Leading Braves

The Rockies have spent quite a while living near the bottom of their division, and one opponent in particular has had every reason to circle Colorado on the schedule and lick its chops.

Colorado suffered a 3-2 loss in 10 innings Sunday, with Matt Olson ripping a walk-off single against Ryan Feltner to complete Atlanta’s three-game sweep.

The defeat also left the Rockies winless in six meetings with the Braves this season. Colorado can at least take solace in knowing it will not have to see the 2021 World Series champions again this year. Perhaps next year the Rockies will finally break a multi-year trend of Atlanta treating them like a convenient way to pad the win column.

Braves Have Become a Nightmare Matchup for Colorado

Cole Carrigg dives but can’t field a ball hit by Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II. Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn I — Cole Carrigg dives but can’t field a ball hit by Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After Sunday’s loss, the Rockies are now 6-26 against the Braves since 2022, and this latest defeat may have been one of the more frustrating ones because Colorado had every chance to win.

Mason Adams made just his second major-league start and held his own against one of the National League’s best teams, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five over five innings. That encouraging outing ultimately went unrewarded, adding another painful chapter to what has been a miserable four-year stretch against Atlanta.

To be fair, it is not like the Rockies have had much success against anyone during this stretch. The Braves just seem to take particular pleasure in victimizing them. Since 2022, Colorado has lost 94, 103, 101 and 119 games in consecutive seasons and sits at 85 losses this year.

But there are at least some signs of encouragement. Colorado played Atlanta close throughout this series, with every game decided by two runs or fewer. That is a marked improvement from their previous series against the Braves, when the Rockies lost twice by at least five runs in a three-game set.

Some of that improvement may be tied to the young talent beginning to establish itself in Colorado. Hunter Goodman, TJ Rumfield, Jake McCarthy and Cole Carrigg have all flashed legitimate upside this season. Carrigg’s frustration boiled over Sunday when he made an inappropriate gesture toward the Atlanta crowd, but one emotional mistake does not erase what he has shown on the field.

That young core is still a long way from repaying Atlanta for the beatings it has handed Colorado over the years, but it gives Rockies fans more to look forward to than they have had in quite some time. Come 2027, the team might be less concerned with simply playing the Braves close and more interested in evening the score.

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