The Braves came into this game with a potential problem. The bullpen had pitched a lot of innings in Wednesday's doubleheader in Detroit, and given that AJ Smith-Shawver was slated to make just his second career start, there was the potential for a conflagration of sorts on the mound. But, one scare aside, nothing really played out that way. Smith-Shawver notched a key strikeout and shrugged off two solo shots, and then passed the torch to Michael Tonkin, who largely eviscerated the Colorado bats for the remainder of the game. Combined with an offensive onslaught with uncharacteristically few extra-base hits, the Smith-Shawver/Tonkin combo was enough to cruise to an 8-3 win.
Braves roll over Rockies, 8-3
