Today's Three Things: The offense blasts Colorado, but AJ Smith-Shawver leaves injured

The enthusiasm over the victory is tempered by concerns about Atlanta's young pitching phenom

The Atlanta Braves took down the Colorado Rockies, 8-2, in Coors Field on Tuesday night to win the series.

Here’s Today’s Three Things from the contest.

The Turning Point

Atlanta put this one away in the fourth inning.

Up 2-1 and with the heart of the order coming up, the Braves took it to Germán Márquez. Three consecutive singles, coming from Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Sean Murphy loaded the bases and Atlanta made sure to cash in.

Michael Harris II grounded out to first base for one RBI, while Nick Allen hit an RBI single to right field to score the other two runs in the inning.

The big thing for me here? Three runs with not only no homers, but no extra base hits. For the series, Atlanta has fourteen runs with no longballs, somewhat of a rarity for a series taking place in Coors Field. It’s a sign that the approach changes we’ve seen are legitimate - the Braves are going for quality contact and putting the ball in play rather than homers.

Today’s Player of the Game

I’m really struggling here with this, but let’s give it to Matt Olson. Atlanta’s first baseman was in a mini-slump entering this game, going just 2-15 on the road trip, but he added three hits and came around to score all three times.

His defense has continued to be elite at first base, and despite the voters having a built-in bias for Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, Olson is deserving of at least a Gold Glove finalist nod at the current rate he’s picking and scooping at the cold corner.

Eli White had a triple and a double and scored twice, while Michael Harris II went just one for five but drove in three, if you’re looking for run production more than run scoring from your player of the game.

It was a nice, all-around team win, okay?

What You’ll Be Talking About

AJ Smith-Shawver’s injury.

With a runner on first in the top of the sixth and only one Rockies run on the board, AJ was cruising.

Ryan McMahon put a stop to that.

Getting a first pitch fastball on the outer third, McMahon put good wood on it and sent it on a line right back where it came from, hitting AJ just above the elbow at 105.1 mph. He recovered to grab the ball and throw McMahon out at first base, but was promptly attended to by head athletic trainer George Poulis and removed from the game.

The frustrating part here was that he was cruising - while he allowed eight hard-hit balls in his 21 batters faced, the only damage off of him was a solo homer by catcher Hunter Goodman in the 2nd inning. (A 2nd run, charged to AJ, scored off of reliever Enyel De Los Santos after AJSS left the game.) His pitch count was at just 59, as well, so potentially going seven innings was on the table before the liner to the elbow.

We’ll pass along any updates as we get them, but an injured-list stint could spell doom for a team already missing two other starters in Reynaldo López and Spencer Strider.

What’s Next for the Braves?

Atlanta’s looking to break out the brooms! Chris Sale (1-2, 5.40) takes on Colorado’s top pitching prospect, Chase Dollander (1-3, 7.91) at 3:10 PM ET.