There were no dramatic late-inning heroics from the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. But there was for the Atlanta Braves when Eric Hinske hit the go-ahead home run off Edgmer Escalona in the top of the 11th inning for a 9-7 lead. Todd Helton went on to make it a one-run game with an RBI ground out in the bottom half of the inning, but Michael Cuddyer grounded out to end the game in a 9-8 loss.
The Rockies, however, could have had this game easily won had it not been for its starting pitching. Guillermo Moscoso held a 5-0 lead when he returned to the mound for the top of the second inning. Todd Helton and Dexter Fowler each hit two-run singles and Cuddyer singled in the other run in between those plays. But then Moscoso surrendered a two-run home run to Freddie Freeman in the third inning.
The fifth inning proved far worse. He allowed four runs on a Chipper Jones RBI single, a two-run Brian McCann single and a Hinske RBI double. Matt Reynolds, though, was the pitcher on the mound when Hinske drove in the run for the 6-5 lead. Moscoso's night ended after 4.1 innings.
Jonathan Herrera tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with his second home run of the season, but Chipper Jones put the Braves in a 7-6 lead with a home run of his own in the sixth inning. As you have expected by now, the Rockies answered in the bottom of the sixth with Tyler Colvin's run-scoring fielder's choice.
The Rockies (12-13, 8-8 home) will have Jamie Moyer on the mound for Saturday night's contest.
For more on these teams, visit Rockies blog Purple Row and Braves blog Talking Chop. Head over to Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish for more news and notes around the majors.