8, and that birdie on 10 really got me going onn the back nine and made a great couple par

DENVER -- After two disastrous games and a disappointing series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Colorado Rockies will conclude their homestand with four games against the Atlanta Braves starting on Thursday.The Rockies fell 11-3 Wednesday afternoon, hours after a rain-delayed 10-1 loss Tuesday night and were outscored 25-11 by the Rays in the series. The Rockies struck out 15 times Wednesday, following 12 strikeouts Tuesday night. It is the first time in franchise history that the Rockies struck out 12 or more times in consecutive games at home.Chad Bettis will start Thursday night for the Rockies. He is 7-6 with a 5.55 ERA in 19 starts, 11 of which the Rockies won, and will face the Braves for the second straight start. On Saturday at Atlanta, Bettis gave up six hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts but wasnt involved in the decision as the Rockies won 4-3.The Rockies are 6-1 in Bettis past seven starts, and he is 3-1 with a 5.49 ERA (39 1/3 innings, 24 earned runs) in that span.Im in a good spot right now mentally and physically, Bettis said. And I think that Im learning things and trying to still understand how to get a little bit better each time, which is where I want to be. But I think in the big sense of things, personally, I feel I need to be much better toward the later part of my starts. In the Atlanta game, I feel like I got hurt there in my last, say, 10-15 pitches.Its not that Im not focused or anything, but (I) just need to understand whats going on and be aware of it and fix it before it happens.At Atlanta on Saturday, Bettis allowed two runs in the second but then retired 12 of the next 14 batters he faced through the sixth. He issued a leadoff walk followed by a bunt single in the seventh but got Erick Aybar to ground into a double play. But Bettis then gave up a run-scoring single to pitcher Mike Foltynewicz and walked Jace Peterson before being lifted from the game.The Rockies and Braves played a three-game series last weekend in Atlanta to start the second half of the season. The Rockies won the first two games but were unable to sweep the series when the Braves scored a run in the ninth Sunday to win 1-0.Foltynewicz will again oppose Bettis and is coming off a terrific outing during which he threw 73 of 107 pitches for strikes. He allowed four hits and three runs with two walks and five strikeouts before being taken out after facing three batters in the eighth. Foltynewicz is 3-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 10 starts this season, four of which the Braves have won.The Braves on Wednesday lost the rubber game of their series at Cincinnati 6-3 and are 2-4 since the All-Star break. Their road record is 19-26, not good but far better than their 14-36 mark at home. Moreover, the Braves are 9-7 in their past 16 road games.Colorado is the second stop for the Braves on a nine-game road trip that will conclude with two games at Minnesota.Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who had a cancerous mole removed from his back during the All-Star break, went 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in the series against the Rockies last weekend.Freeman finally ended his long-ball drought at Great American Ballpark when he homered in the first inning against Anthony DeSclafini. It was the 17th homer of the season for Freeman, who went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts.This place is a graveyard, you know what I mean, Freeman joked about one of the better home run parks in the big leagues. In my career, Ive never been swinging well when I come into this park. I was able to get one over today.At the hitters paradise that is Coors Field, Freeman has made 66 plate appearances and his hitting .271 (14-for-59) with five homers, 14 RBI and a .627 OPS. Andres Guardado Jersey . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Rafael Marquez Mexico Jersey . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. http://www.nationalsoccermexico.com/javier-hernandez-mexico-jersey/ . -- Eastern Kentucky thrives off creating havoc for others. Yasser Corona Mexico Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Candido Ramirez Jersey . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Grayson Murray won the Nationwide Childrens Hospital Championship on Sunday and Cameron Smith and Kevin Tway wrapped up PGA Tour cards.Already guaranteed a PGA Tour card with an 18th-place finish on the Web.com Tours regular-season money list, Murray closed with a 3-under 68 to beat Smith by a stroke in the third of four events in the Web.com Tour Finals. Tway tied for third with third-round leader Martin Flores.I want to think this is only the beginning of what could be on the PGA Tour, Murray said. I need to keep working really hard and keep going. Its very, very tough to win out here and Im going to enjoy this win for sure, but I know the great champions keep working even harder after they get that first win so thats my plan.Murray finished at 12-under 272 on Ohio States Scarlet Course and earned $180,000 for his first tour victory to jump from 11th to second with $407,963 on the PGA Tour priority list among the 25 card-earners from the Web.com money list. The former Wake Forest and Arizona State player also tops the Web.com Tour Finals money list with $248,000.I racked up so many top-10s this year, I was knocking on the door, and I knew if I kept putting myself in position on Sunday it was going to just be a matter of time before I won, Murray said. Just credit to everyone around me keeping me positive through those stretches where I did miss the cut this year, and my parents, my swing coach, some mentors back home, just it couldnt be possible without all them.Murray will be 23 on Saturday. He lost in a three-man playoff in August in the Web.com Tour event in Wichita, Kansas.After Smith made a bogey at the par-4 15th, Murray finished with five pars to close out the tournament.Stayed patient all day, Murray said. Made a bogey on 8, and that birdie on 10 really got me going onn the back nine and made a great couple par saves on the back nine that I was giving myself five, six footers it seemed like every hole on that back nine, but I was confident stroking it well.dddddddddddd Its just a dream scenario, walking up 18 with a one-shot lead.Smith also shot a 67. After finishing 157th in the PGA Tours FedEx Cups standings, the Australian made $108,000 to go from 48th to third with $114,910 in the series race for 25 more PGA Tour cards.Im just happy that Im heading back to the PGA Tour, to be honest, Smith said. That was, obviously, the goal through these four weeks and to get it done a week early is definitely a relief.Tway had a 67 to match Flores (74) at 10 under. Tway was 27th on the Web.com money list. His $58,000 check moved him from 52nd to ninth with $63,975, more than enough to secure one of the 25 cards. The last PGA Tour card went at $33,650 in 2013, $36,312 in 2014 and $32,206 last year.Flores earned a card with a fifth-place finish on the Web.com money list. Hes fifth on PGA Tour priority list with $346,313, with regular-season money counting in the total.Mike Hicks, the late Payne Stewarts caddie for all three major championships, caddied for Murray.It was awesome. We were walking up the fairway, and I said, `I hope we can get 10 more years out of you on my bag and just 10 more years of enjoyment, Murray said. Because after Payne Stewart passed away, hes had good players, but I dont think hes really enjoyed his walk like he did with Payne. Im not trying to compare myself to Payne whatsoever, but Im really good friends with Mike and his son, and we go back a long way. I hope we can have many more years of enjoyment out on the course. ' ' '