He did not allow a run through four innings, with three strikeouts. None of the current Braves have been able to hit a home run off of Gray in 26 combined at-bats.
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Gray improved to 4-0 with a 4.22 ERA in eight starts this season at Coors Field.
Teheran then threw one warmup pitch and walked off the mound, and Joel De La Cruz came on to pitch for the Braves.
Garcia stays hot: The Braves’ other hottest hitter this month is Adonis Garcia, who doubled Thursday and is 19-for-51 (.373) with five doubles, two homers, nine RBIs and a.588 slugging percentage in his past 13 games beginning July 5.
The Rockies have won seven straight over Atlanta at Coors Field. And the Braves eked out a walk-off, 1-0 victory.
His most costly mistake was the fastball to Gonzalez, who has six seasons with at least 20 homers. Left fielder Jace Peterson’s throw home nailed Descalso, but the runner was ruled safe because of the obstruction call. Carlos Gonzalez broke a scoreless tie in the sixth with a monster three-run homer to right-center off talented, young Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz.
Trainer Keith Dugger and manager Walt Weiss then went to the mound, watched Estevez throw two warm-up pitches and kept him in the game. He pitching seven innings of one-run ball to win the second game of a historic April 23, 2103 doubleheader sweep by the Braves, when the 23-degree temperature in the opening game made it the coldest since Major League Baseball starting keeping such records in 1991 and five degrees colder than any previous game at Coors Field.
Gray and Teheran each pitched seven scoreless innings when they matched up Sunday at Atlanta. That includes 8-for-21 with two homers in the Braves’ past five games. Freeman scored when Nick Markakis hit a slow roller that Arenado unsuccessfully tried to barehand. Freddie Freeman hit a two-out liner that left fielder Ryan Raburn caught, but was unable to hold the ball as he banged into the wall, and Freeman ended up with a triple.
The Braves threatened in the second with Recker’s one-out double, followed by a walk.
Teheran worked out of trouble in the first. Trevor Story’s grounder forced out Gonzalez at second but moved LeMahieu to third.
NOTES: Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon, a North Gwinnett grad, extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games with a single in the first. He needed just 87 pitches (52 strikes) to maneuver through 6⅔ innings.
Braves: RHP Shea Simmons, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, was slated to make his first rehab appearance on Saturday for the Gulf Coast Rookie League Braves. LHP Chris Rusin, placed on the 15-day DL in early June with a left shoulder strain, is nearing a return.
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Rockies: Backup C Tony Wolters wears a bandage on his chin after recently fouling off a bunt attempt in batting practice that struck him in the face. It’s nearly like if he takes a pitch, it probably was a ball.
