ATLANTA – Walt Weiss didn’t try to sugarcoat the fact the Colorado Rockies were overwhelmed in four consecutive losses to the Braves.
After the lopsided end to the series, the manager felt it necessary to stress that his players hadn’t given up.
Chad Bettis gave up five runs in his major league debut, and the short-handed Rockies fell to the Braves 11-2 on Thursday night.
The Braves outscored the Rockies 31-5 in the last three games of the series.
“This was a rough series, no way around it,” Weiss said.
The Rockies were close only in a 9-8 loss in 10 innings in the series opener.
“Other than the first one, the other three were ugly,” Weiss said. “I’ll make sure that we still compete. I don’t question these guys in that respect. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. We need to do that regardless of how we’re playing and where we’re at. That’s something that is expected all the time.”
The Rockies were without outfielders Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Gonzalez. The middle of their lineup took another hit when Troy Tulowitzki was ejected in the second inning.
Weiss said Cuddyer was away on a family emergency. Carlos Gonzalez was held out after aggravating his sprained right middle finger Wednesday night. Weiss said Gonzalez will be given a couple of days rest to see if the finger improves.
The Rockies couldn’t keep pace with or without the outfielders.
Justin Upton drove in five runs with two homers, Jason Heyward added a two-run shot, and Chris Johnson – the league leader in batting average – had three hits for the Braves, who have won seven in a row.
Atlanta had 14 hits, giving the team five consecutive games with at least 10 hits.
“I feel like this is the best I’ve seen us play consecutively so far,” said shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who called the team’s offensive roll “a little crazy.”
“I really felt like no matter how many runs they scored, we were going to outscore them,” Simmons said.
Bettis (0-1), called up from Double-A Tulsa for his major league debut, allowed five runs and six hits and five walks in five innings.
“I liked what I saw from Chad,” Weiss said. “He got a ball up that got hit out early, but I thought there was a lot to like there – a lot of power, a lot of poise. He’s got plenty of stuff.”
Bettis said he was nervous in the first inning.
“Oh, yeah, there was some nerves there,” Bettis said. “First time out there was definitely some butterflies. I was trying to minimize those as much as I could.
“I’d say after three or four batters, I settled in there and felt better.”
Atlanta’s 7-0 homestand also included three wins over St. Louis. The NL East-leading Braves stretched their lead over Washington to 11½ games.
Julio Teheran (8-5) struck out the side in the third and fifth innings and finished with 11 strikeouts in only five innings. He allowed one run and five hits and two walks, his third consecutive start of allowing no more than one run.
The Braves led 2-0 before Bettis recorded his first out. Heyward walked, and Upton followed with his first homer since July 9. Upton added a three-run shot off Edgmer Escalona in the eighth. Escalona gave up five runs while getting only one out.
Colorado loaded the bases in the first when Dexter Fowler walked, Corey Dickerson beat out a dribbler to the mound, and with one out Wilin Rosario had another infield single. Teheran ended the inning by striking out Todd Helton and Nolan Arenado – each on three pitches.
The Rockies’ frustrations continued in the second when they managed only one run after again loading the bases with one out. Charlie Blackmon doubled and had to hold up before seeing DJ LeMahieu’s double could not be caught by Upton in right field.
Fowler walked with one out, loading the bases, before Upton made a leaping catch of Dickerson’s fly ball in front of the wall. Blackmon scored on the play.
Tulowitzki took a called third strike on a slow curveball from Teheran to end the inning. As his teammates began to take their defensive positions, Tulowitzki remained at home plate, arguing the call with umpire Marvin Hudson. First base coach Rene Lachemann attempted to intervene, but Tulowitzki was ejected by Hudson.
Weiss followed Lachemann to home plate and argued that Weiss “wasn’t in his face, he wasn’t showing him up.”
“He just argued balls and strikes,” Weiss said. “Marvin felt that he argued a little too long.”
With two strikeouts in his two innings, Tulowitzki was 0-for-12 in the series.
Jonathan Herrera, who replaced Tulowitzki, drove in LeMahieu with a single in the seventh.