Story, Arenado help Rockies top Braves 8-4 for 9th win in 11

ATLANTA (AP) — Nolan Arenado liked the patient approach Colorado took with Braves starter Max Fried.

"We were trying to get good pitches to hit and we knew we couldn't miss," Arenado said. "He's got a really good curveball, a good change, just good stuff all around. We had to be ready to hit."

Arenado combined with Trevor Story to homer on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning, then hit a tiebreaking double in the sixth that led the Rockies over the Atlanta Braves 8-4 on Friday night for their ninth win in 11 games.

Daniel Murphy went 3 for 4 with two doubles for the Rockies, who had seven extra-base hits.

Tyler Flowers homered twice for the Braves, who have lost three of four.

Story homered on a changeup to tie the score 1-1 and Arenado connected on a curveball. Story has hit safely in a career-best 14 straight games and is batting .362 over that span.

"It was awesome," Arenado said. "That was cool. Just good quality at-bats from everybody today. A lot of fun."

Ender Inciarte's RBI single tied the score in the bottom half, but Story, Arenado and Murphy hit consecutive doubles for a 4-2 lead in the sixth against Fried (3-1).

Fried, who allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, thought he made just one glaring mistake.

"The changeup to Story was up," Fried said. "It was a bad pitch, and he did what you're supposed to do that.

Charlie Blackmon had an RBI single against Josh Tomlin in the seventh, Ryan McMahon added a two-run single versus Jesse Biddle in a three-run eighth.

Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela (2-1) gave up three runs, seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. Wade Davis struck out Freddie Freeman, his only batter, to strand two runners on and earn his fourth save in four chances.

GOOD GLOVES

Atlanta 3B Josh Donaldson dropped to a knee and backhanded a hard grounder before throwing out Murphy on a tag at the plate in the second. ... Rockies CF Ian Desmond timed his jump on the warning track to catch Donaldson's long fly against the wall with a runner on in the seventh.

NEAR MISS

Braves LF Ronald Acuña Jr. scaled the wall in left in the fourth but had the ball fall out of his glove on Story's homer.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland threw a bullpen session before the game and could return to the rotation next week. He is on the 10-day IL with a left middle finger blister. ... LHP Chris Rusin, sidelined with a mid-back strain, and LHP Jake McGee, out with a left knee sprain, are expected to throw bullpen sessions on Saturday.

Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz, an All-Star last season, returns to the rotation Saturday after being sidelined since spring training with a right elbow bone spur. He went 1-1 with a 6.11 ERA in four rehab starts with Triple-A Gwinnett. "The line wasn't what the stuff was," manager Brian Snitker said. "His stuff was right where it needs to be. Physically, everything is great. He won't have, really, any limitations."

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (2-3) has won two straight starts and posted a 0.92 ERA in his last three starts.

Braves: Foltynewicz will make his first start of the season after missing 25 games with a right elbow bone spur.