Rockies 8, Brewers 4
MILWAUKEE -- A three-run seventh inning broke open a tie game for the Colorado Rockies who beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-4, on Tuesday night at Miller Park.
Against Milwaukee reliever Michael Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler led off with a walk and Josh Rutledge and Carlos Gonzalez followed with base hits, loading the bases. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke called on Burke Badenhop to face Troy Tulowitzki, who drove in the go-ahead run on a sac fly to center and Michael Cuddeyer and Todd Helton scored two more with back-to-back RBI singles before Chris Nelson grounded into a inning-ending double play.
The first start by Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa was rocky, as he allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings but Rockies relievers Edgmer Escalona and Matt Belisle kept Milwaukee scoreless for 3 2/3 innings. Wilton Lopez opened the ninth for Colorado, but gave way to Rex Brothers after allowing a one-out single to Jean Segura.
But after Brothers got pinch-hitter Yuniesky Betancourt to fly out to center, he allowed a single to Aoki, putting runners on the corners with two outs. New Rockies manager Walt Weiss went to his closer and Rafel Betancourt earned his first save of the season, getting Rickie Weeks to hit a broken-bat grounder to the mound to end it.
Milwaukee starter Marco Estrada was plagued by the long ball, surrendering home runs to Gonzalez and Tulowitzki, but left the game
Down 1-0 in the second, Milwaukee went ahead when Aramis Ramirez led off with a double down the left-field line and with two outs, Carlos Gomez drove him home with a double to left.
Tulowitzki made it a 2-2 game in the third with his second home run in as many games but Ryan Braun hit his first homer of the season in the bottom of the inning, taking a De La Rosa fastball to the opposite field and giving Milwaukee a 4-2 lead.
The lead wouldn't last long. Josh Rutledge opened the fifth with a single and Gonzalez followed with his second home run of the season; a first-pitch fastball to right center, tying the game at 4-4.
Estrada worked out of it, striking out Tulowitzki and Michael Cuddyer before getting Helton to fly out to center, ending the inning.
De La Rosa faced two batters in the fifth, getting Norichika Aoki to ground out before walking Rickie Weeks. Escalona came on in relief, and sandwiched a Ramirez walk between fly outs by Braun and Jonathan Lucroy.
NOTES: Milwaukee's victory Monday gave the team a 107-56 record at Miller Park since the start of the 2011 season; the best home record in baseball during that span. ... Yorvit Torrealba started at catcher for Colorado, a move Weiss said was a "good match" with starter De La Rosa. ... Braun's third-inning home run was the 203rd of his career. He needs five to tie Gorman Thomas for fourth place on the Brewers' all-time list. ... Since the 2007 season, Tulowitzki has hit more home runs (131) and has a higher slugging percentage than any shortstop in baseball.
