DENVER – Jake Cave came up with a bases-loaded single over a five-man infield in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Colorado Rockies an 8-7 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Brenton Doyle scored twice and Charlie Blackmon homered on his birthday for the third time in his career to help Colorado outlast the Brewers.
The victory gave the NL-worst Rockies back-to-back victories for the first time in a month.
“It takes an effort like tonight where we got good starting pitching, pitched well when we needed to, got some hits and always played good defense,” manager Bud Black said. “That’s what it takes to win games and that’s why we won, because we did four of those things.”
William Contreras was one of three hitters for Milwaukee, finishing one triple short on the cycle. Willy Adames had three hits, including an RBI single to start a three-run eighth that put the Brewers back in front, 7-6.
Doyle scored for the second time in the game, a two-out solo shot in the bottom of the eighth against Elvis pegaro, to produce the fourth tie of the night at 7-all.
Tyler Kinley (4-1) picked up the win with a scoreless 10th inning, getting out of a tough spot by striking out Garrett Mitchell.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “They hung in there. They fell behind early, but they came back fighting. We had some opportunities, but in the end we didn’t execute the way we needed to and credit to the Rockies. They did a great job of creating big hits.”
Pinch runner Aaron Schunk started in the bottom of the 10th as the automatic runner at second base. He advanced to third when Michael Toglia flew out against Joel Payamps (1-5). Milwaukee then intentionally walked Doyle and Nolan Jones to load the bases. The Brewers brought in an outfielder to load the infield with an extra fielder, but Cave lined a clean single into the open outfield to score Schunk with the winning run.
An exuberant Cave said it was the first game-ending hit of his seven-year major league career.
“It’s amazing. I was excited,” Cave said. “You know, when you’re a kid, you think about it, they take a couple of guys to get to you and you win the game. I’ve dreamed about it and I hope I get the opportunity to do it again , but it was amazing.”
Milwaukee took a 4-3 lead on Contreras’ solo home run in the fifth, which came after umpire Brennan Miller ejected Murphy. Miller criticized the Brewers manager for discussing a call that Joey Ortiz left the baseline while avoiding pitcher Austin Gomber’s tag on a bunt.
Colorado regained the lead with two runs in the fifth and added another in the sixth on Jones’ double.
The Rockies took a 3-0 lead behind Doyle’s two runs to center field off Bryse Wilson in the second and Blackmon’s solo shot off Wilson in the third.
Blackmon, who turned 38 on Monday, got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and drove Wilson’s bid 431 feet to center. He also scored on his birthday in 2022 against Arizona and 2011 against Kansas City, which was the first of his 14-year major league career.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: Ortiz returned to the starting lineup for the first time since leaving last Wednesday’s game against Texas with a stiff neck. He made one appearance on Saturday as a pinch runner against the Cubs. … Mitchell has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and made his season debut when he came in as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. He was placed on IL in late March with a fractured left index finger.
Rockies: OF Kris Bryant, sidelined last month with a left rib injury, has resumed baseball activities for the first time since suffering the injury. He is expected to do a minor league rehab assignment before returning to the major league club. … RHP Germán Márquez is scheduled to leave for Double-A Hartford in the next two days for another rehab outing in his attempt to return from Tommy John surgery. Márquez missed most of last season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in May 2023.
NEXT
Game 2 of the four-game series pits Milwaukee LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 11.25 ERA) against RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.82).
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