Braves play spoiler role
ATLANTA — The Colorado Rockies are running out of time for another strong September finish.
Colorado's fading playoff hopes took another blow Thursday night when Yunel Escobar's three-run homer capped a five-run sixth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Rockies 8-4 to complete a three-game sweep.
The Rockies won 20 of 28 games last September to make the playoffs. This September, they are streaking in the wrong direction.
The Rockies (67-80) have lost five straight, their longest skid since eight in a row from June 22-30. They are 81/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Braves rookie Jair Jurrjens (13-9) set a career high with 10 strikeouts, allowing eight hits and four runs in six innings.
Escobar had three hits and a walk.
Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez gave up five hits and three runs, two earned, in five innings. He struck out six but walked four.
Jimenez left with a 4-3 lead, but the Braves scored five runs in the sixth off Glendon Rusch (5-5) and Matt Herges. Gregor Blanco doubled to lead off the inning, stole third and scored on pinch-hitter Omar Infante's sacrifice fly.
Kelly Johnson hit a triple over Brad Hawpe in right field. Rusch intentionally walked Chipper Jones then gave up Brian McCann's single to left, driving in Johnson for a 5-4 lead.
Herges replaced Rusch and gave up Escobar's 10th homer, making it 8-4.
Jurrjens gave up three runs in the third.
Willy Taveras walked and moved to third on Jeff Baker's single. Matt Holliday drove in both with a double to right and scored on Garrett Atkins' single for a 3-2 lead.
Hawpe's 25th homer in the fifth made it 4-2.
Atlanta's Jeff Francoeur stranded eight runners in his first three at-bats.
Francoeur hit a soft pop fly to third baseman Ian Stewart with the bases loaded in the second, but Blanco followed with a two-run single.
Francoeur struck out to leave the bases loaded in the third. He hit a fly ball to right field in the fifth to strand two runners.
Casey Kotchman drove in a run earlier in the fifth with a bases-loaded groundout, cutting Colorado's lead to 4-3.Francoeur is 4-for-31 this season with the bases loaded. He is 1-for-20 with less than two outs and the bases loaded.
Today: Atlanta at New York Mets
6:10 p.m., ESPN, 1580 AM
