DENVER -- The play seemed almost automatic, a one-hopper in the eighth inning Tuesday night to Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, known for making jaw-dropping plays almost nightly.

However, the Atlanta Braves scored an unearned run on Arenado's low throw with two outs and beat the Rockies 4-3 to end an 11-game losing streak at Coors Field.

The Rockies' continued offensive malaise put Colorado in a position where Arenado's stunning error was costly.

"He never makes errors at third base," said Atlanta's Brandon Phillips, who scored the winning run. "To make an error like that shows you that he's human. And one thing it just shows is that you can win a game any kind of way."

Phillips doubled with one out in the eighth against Pat Neshek (3-3). Freddie Freeman followed with an opposite-field drive that Gerardo Parra hauled down in the left field corner for the second out.

Tyler Flowers then hit a routine grounder to third, but Arenado, winner of four consecutive Gold Gloves, made a low throw for his fifth error of the season. First baseman Mark Reynolds tried to make a backhanded pickup but was unable to hold the ball, and Phillips scampered home ahead of Reynolds' throw.

"It's unacceptable," Arenado said. "I've got to make that play, at the end of the day. I feel like I do for the most part. I didn't this time, and we lost. I short-armed it, I didn't get enough on the throw. Just a bad throw."

Phillips said he rounded third right when Arenado threw the ball, watched third base coach Ron Washington and was "just trying to keep my feet moving just in case anything happened. You knew it was a routine play for him, but once I saw the ball in the dirt, I just kept running."

Sam Freeman (2-0) worked the seventh, benefiting greatly when Freeman started a nifty 3-6-3 double play on Charlie Blackmon's grounder after pinch hitter Pat Valaika began the inning with a single.

Aroldys Vizcaino hit 100 mph with his fastball as he worked the ninth to earn his seventh save in nine opportunities.

Nick Markakis tied the game at 3 for the Braves when he hit his seventh home run, a shot to right-center with two outs in the sixth. That was the final inning for Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, who allowed four hits and three runs with two fateful walks and five strikeouts.

Both walks came in the second before No. 8 hitter Dansby Swanson, who was batting .210, turned on a 93.6 mph fastball and lined a two-run double into the left field corner, putting the Braves ahead 2-1.

Asked if he was looking for a fastball, Swanson smiled and said: "I can't give you all my secrets. See it and hit it, baby. Sometimes it works out for you, and sometimes it doesn't. The simplistic way of looking at things is sometimes the best way to go."

Atlanta starter Sean Newcomb also worked six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks with eight strikeouts. Solo homers by Arenado in the first, Reynolds in the fourth and Trevor Story in the fifth accounted for Colorado's runs against Newcomb, a 23-year-old rookie making his 12th major league start and his Coors Field debut.

"You sort of expect it coming here," Newcomb said of the home runs. "You know deep fly balls kind of turn into home runs. But I just put those behind me and kept attacking."

Story put the Rockies ahead 3-2 when he led off the fifth with his 16th homer. It was the slumping Story's first extra-base hit since hitting his 15th homer July 29. Entering Tuesday, Story had gone 5-for-40 (.125) with 19 strikeouts since.

With one out in the inning, Blackmon walked and dashed to third on DJ LeMahieu's single. Newcomb retired Arenado on a pop up but walked Reynolds on four pitches to load the bases before getting Gerardo Parra to fly to left.

The Rockies have scored three runs in six straight games and have lost six of their past eight contests. They are 9-for-62 (.145) with runners in scoring position in that span, including 0-for-3 in such situations Tuesday.

"Man on first and second, we're not getting guys over. Man on third, we're not getting them in," Arenado said. "Today I had a man on third, and I popped up. It's unacceptable. You can't have that in games that you need runs."

The Rockies remained tied with Arizona for the two National League wild-card spots, five games ahead of St. Louis and Milwaukee, after a loss that was memorable because it resulted from Arenado's error.

"It's rare," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "You don't see it. You are not going to see it for a long time. It is part of this game."

NOTES: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (left groin strain) was reinstated from the disabled list, and LHP Zac Rosscup was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado was back in the lineup. He sustained a left wrist contusion when hit with a pitch Sunday, and he pinch-hit Monday. ... Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson threw his first bullpen session from 60 feet, 6 inches since he underwent left knee surgery July 3. ... Braves CF Lane Adams made his first start in his 45th game this season. He went 1-for-3. ... Braves CF Ender Inciarte, who fouled a ball off his right foot Monday, was given a rest day. He had started all but two of Atlanta's previous 115 games. ... Braves 2B Ozzie Albies led off for the first time after batting seventh or eighth in his first 12 major league games. He went 0-for-4.