Colorado @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 8, 2018 ) Atlanta 4, Colorado 0

Charlie Culberson has proven to be the perfect role player for the Atlanta Braves, who enter the opener of a four-game home series Thursday at the Colorado Rockies having won 14 of their past 18 games. Culberson, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in an offseason trade, collected three hits in Wednesday’s 5-2 home victory over Miami and is 6-for-12 with four runs in his past three contests to help Atlanta cap a four-game sweep of the Marlins and remain two games up in first place.

The Braves come into the series with an edge after rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna, who had homered in five consecutive games, was drilled with a pitch in the first inning Wednesday - sparking a benches-clearing altercation and knocking the 20-year-old out of the game. Colorado’s four-game winning streak ended Wednesday with a 12-1 loss at Houston, and the Rockies play 10 of their next 16 contests on the road. Third baseman Nolan Arenado finished 2-for-3 Wednesday and is hitting .321 in his past 16 games. The Rockies have allowed 10 or more hits in five of their past eight games, and after giving up just six runs in their previous three games, surrendered nine extra-base hits Wednesday.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet (Colorado), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (9-7, 4.81 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (8-7, 4.33)

Gray struggled throughout most of the first half, posting a 5.77 ERA before being sent to Triple-A Albuquerque at the end of June. The 26-year-old returned and allowed just five earned runs over 29 1/3 innings in his first four starts, winning twice, before permitting four runs across 5 2/3 frames in his last outing Friday. Gray is 3-0 lifetime with a 1.04 ERA against the Braves, beating them twice last season with two runs allowed on 10 hits in 12 innings.

Teheran’s up-and-down season has stabilized a bit in his past three starts, as he posted a 3.78 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings while going 1-0 in that stretch. The 27-year-old allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts in a no-decision Saturday against Milwaukee, after giving up three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision six days earlier against the New York Mets. Teheran is 5-1 with a 2.21 ERA in nine career starts against the Rockies.

WALK-OFFS

1. Braves SS Dansby Swanson homered Wednesday, his second homer in the past four games, and has six RBIs in that stretch with four runs scored.

2. Colorado lost two of three to Atlanta in early April, giving up 14 runs and 27 hits in three games at Coors Field.

3. Acuna, who was hit in the left elbow in the first inning, left the game before the top of the second and the Braves did not have a diagnosis after Wednesday’s game.

PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Braves 5