Milwaukee @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Jun 19, 2010 ) Milwaukee 7, Colorado 8
The Milwaukee Brewers finally broke out of their unusually long offensive slump. The end result, however, was yet another loss at Coors Field.
The struggling Brewers look to end their woes today in Denver when they wrap up a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies.
The Brewers, who rank eighth in the league in runs scored (328), entered Saturday’s game with just two runs in their last 25 innings.
Milwaukee rediscovered its offense, scoring seven runs and recording 15 hits in a wild slugfest. It wasn’t enough, though as the Brewers lost 8-7 for their 11th setback in their last 12 games at Coors Field.
The Brewers are 12 games under .500 and they showed why on Saturday. The bullpen blew a three-run lead and, while the offense rallied, it ultimately failed to come up with a clutch hit. Corey Hart’s two-out, three-run homer in the ninth cut the lead to 8-7.
But Jonathan Lucroy lined out with the bases loaded to end it.
The Rockies, meanwhile, continue to get clutch hits despite injuries to two of their best players. All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was placed the disabled list Friday with a broken wrist.
In addition, center fielder Carlos Gonzalez, who has a team-leading 42 RBIs, has been out since Thursday with a strained knee. He isn’t expected to return until Tuesday at the earliest.
The rest of the offense has picked up the slack in their absence. Colorado won its third straight Saturday thanks to a balanced attack.
Five different players recorded at least one RBI as the Rockies rallied with three runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth. Seth Smith homered and drove in three runs. Miguel Olivo also homered and Jonathan Herrera, Jason Giambi and Brad Hawpe all added RBIs.
The Rockies’ role players will take their swings against Brewers starter Randy Wolf (5-6, 5.08), who is 6-3 with a 4.13 ERA in 14 starts vs. Colorado. The veteran left-hander seeks to win consecutive starts for the first time this season.
Wolf, who signed a three-year, $29.5 million deal in the offseason, had been 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA in his last two starts before shutting down the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. He allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings of a 12-2 win.
The 33-year-old beat Colorado earlier this season by allowing four runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 7-5 win on April 6.
Wolf will be opposed by Aaron Cook (2-4, 5.15), who is glad to be pitching at home. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.62 ERA in five starts at Coors Field. He's a completely different pitcher on the road, going 0-4 with a 7.38 ERA in eight outings.
Cook was rocked for five runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings of a 9-3 loss in Minnesota on Tuesday.
He is 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 11 games – 10 starts – vs. Milwaukee. The Brewers battered Cook in Milwaukee to the tune of four earned runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings on April 7.
Much like Cook, the Rockies are much better at home. Colorado is 21-12 at Coors Field and just 15-20 on the road.