DENVER - Antonio Senzatela overcame a leadoff home run by Ozzie Albies, pitching seven strong innings as the Colorado Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 Friday night.
The Braves maintained a two-game lead in the National League East Division over the second-place Philadelphia Phillies, who lost the opener of a road series against the last-place Miami Marlins.
Senzatela (4-9) allowed six hits and three runs, and Carlos Estévez pitched a hitless ninth for his fourth save in eight chances.
Though jolted by the leadoff homer, the first homer he had given up since the St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt connected against him on July 1, Senzatela said he quickly refocused on the task at hand.
"I've grown," Senzatela said. "I feel like no matter what happens, I just need to keep going, to try to win, throw the ball down in the strike zone and get grounders. I think I did a good job tonight, and the guys played really good defense behind me."
Rockies manager Bud Black said the 26-year-old right-hander "was very efficient, and this is an aggressive, early-count swinging team, and you've got to locate some pitches or they're going to ambush you. I thought from my vantage point, it looked like he was moving the ball in and out, kept the ball down, got his ground balls and had no walks. It was a very solid-pitched game."
Colorado's Charlie Blackmon answered Albies' shot in the bottom of the first when he homered for the second time in as many nights; he hit a grand slam in Thursday's 6-5 loss in the series opener. Trevor Story hit a two-out double in the sixth, and C.J. Cron followed with a sharp single to left to drive in the go-ahead run, chasing Atlanta Huascar Ynoa (4-5).
The Braves had trailed 3-2 going into the sixth but got a two-out double from Freddie Freeman and an RBI single by Riley. Trying to advance on the plate, Riley was thrown out at second by left fielder Raimel Tapia after a replay reversal.
Eddie Rosario doubled to start the Atlanta eighth. He tried to steal third, but Ryan McMahon got the throw from catcher Dom Nunez and made a no-look, between-the-legs tag on the sliding Rosario for the out.
"It was a great play from them," Rosario said through an interpreter. "In my mind I just read the situation. I just wanted to give Ozzie an opportunity to be able to drive in a run with one out."
Albies hit the second pitch of the game into the stand of evergreens beyond the wall in center field. Blackmon then hit his 12th homer of the season to tie it at 1 in the bottom half, but Rosario's sacrifice fly in the second put the Braves back on top. The Rockies regained the advantage with a two-run second on Brendan Rodgers' RBI single and Blackmon's sacrifice fly in the third.