Denver, CO (Sports Network) – Troy Tulowitzki’s base hit back through the middle of the diamond with two outs in the ninth got the Rockies past Milwaukee, 6-5, after the Brewers rallied for two runs to tie it in their final at-bat.
Huston Street had a two-run lead to protect in the ninth and got two quick outs but gave up a single to George Kottaras, walked pinch-hitter Craig Counsell and hit Rickie Weeks with a pitch to load the bases.
Corey Hart hit a wind-blown pop-up for what appeared to be the final out of the game, but second baseman Clint Barmes couldn’t track it into his glove and it fell on the infield dirt as two runs crossed home to tie the game.
Rafael Betancourt (2-1) came on for Street and fanned Ryan Braun to escape further damage and keep the game tied at 5-5.
Trevor Hoffman (2-6) was tasked with sending the game to extras and Dexter Fowler aggressively took second on a slow-rolling hit through the right side of the infield with one out.
Pinch-Hitter Seth Smith couldn’t advance the runner on a chopper to third for the second out, and Carlos Gonzalez worked a walk to bring up Tulowitzki, whose hard grounder was slowed by a diving attempt to stop the ball by Weeks behind the mound as Fowler scored the winning run.
Street and Barmes helped blow the win for Ubaldo Jimenez, who struck out 10 and was poised to earn his major league-leading 18th win. Jimenez gave up a season-high tying 10 hits but permitted just three runs while walking one.
Tulowitzki homered, scored twice and ended 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI. Ian Stewart went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and drove in two for the Rockies, who have alternated wins and losses for the last 13 games.
Weeks was 4-for-4 with a run scored, Prince Fielder had a two-run single and Braun contributed three hits to the loss, Milwaukee’s fifth in the last seven games. Starter Manny Parra surrendered six hits and five runs (two earned) in five-plus innings.
Stewart scored Tulowitzki with a sac fly to open the scoring in the second. Milwaukee came back with a three-spot in the third. Weeks led off with a triple and scored on Hart’s single. Braun doubled and Fielder scored both runners with a base hit to center.
A throwing error on Parra opened the door for Colorado to tie it in the bottom half. Eric Young Jr. singled following the blunder, Ryan Spilborghs doubled in a run, and Gonzalez brought in another with a groundout.
Stewart moved the Rockies in front with a solo homer in the fourth, and Tulowitzki found the seats beyond the left-field wall leading off the sixth to take the hosts’ lead to 5-3.
Colorado could have potentially put the game to rest after loading the bases against David Riske with nobody out in the eighth. Gonzalez doubled and walks to Tulowitzki and Melvin Mora brought Zach Braddock out of the bullpen. Braddock struck out Stewart and Miguel Olivo before Barmes lined out to end the threat.
Milwaukee last won a series at Coors Field August 15-17, 2005…The Brewers are just 9-19 overall against Colorado since the start of the 2007 campaign, although Colorado only won the 2010 series by a 5-4 margin…The Rockies are 19-5 in Jimenez’s 24 starts this season…Colorado was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The Brewers went 2-for-8…Milwaukee will play two in St. Louis before returning home for nine straight at Miller Park…The Rockies travel to Los Angeles for a three-game set with the Dodgers starting Tuesday.