Rockies beat the Brewers at the start of the series

DENVER (AP) — Jake Cave hit a base-loaded single into a five-man infield in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Colorado Rockies an 8-7 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.

Brenton Doyle hit two home runs and Charlie Blackmon hit his third career home run on his birthday, helping the Rockies outlast the Brewers.

William Contreras had one of his three hits for Milwaukee, missing the cycle by a triple. Willy Adames had three hits, including an RBI single that started a three-run eighth that put the Brewers back in front, 7-6.

Doyle hit his second home run of the game, a two-out solo home run against Elvis Peguero in the bottom of the eighth inning, to tie the game at 7-7 for the fourth time of the night.

Tyler Kinley (4-1) got the win with a scoreless 10th inning and got out of trouble by striking out Garrett Mitchell.

Pinch-runner Aaron Schunk began the second part of the 10th inning as the automatic runner at second base. He moved to third base when Michael Toglia singled to 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 defender, but Cave hit a clean single into the completely open outfield to give Schunk the winning run.

Milwaukee took a 4-3 lead on Contreras’ solo home run in the fifth inning. The home run came after umpire Brennan Miller ejected Pat Murphy. Miller ejected the Brewers manager for contesting a call that Joey Ortiz had left the baseline on a bunt while avoiding the tag of pitcher Austin Gomber.

Colorado regained the lead with two runs in the fifth inning and scored another run in the sixth inning on Jones’ double.

The Rockies took a 3-0 lead thanks to Doyle’s two-run drive to center field against Bryse Wilson in the second inning and Blackmon’s solo shot against Wilson in the third inning.

Blackmon, who turned 38 on Monday, got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and drove Wilson’s throw 431 feet to center field. He also hit a home run on his birthday in 2022 against Arizona and in 2011 against Kansas City, which was also the first of his 14-year major league career.

TRAINING ROOM

Brewers: Ortiz returned to the starting lineup for the first time since leaving last Wednesday’s game against Texas because of neck stiffness. He appeared as a relief runner against the Cubs on Saturday. … Mitchell was activated from the 60-day injured list and made his season debut when he came in as a relief hitter in the seventh inning. He was placed on the injured list in late March because of a broken left index finger.

Rockies: OF Kris Bryant, who was sidelined last month with a bruised rib, returned to baseball activities for the first time since his injury. He is expected to do a minor league rehab assignment before returning to the major leagues. … RHP Germán Márquez is scheduled to head to Double-A Hartford in the next day or two to complete another rehab program and recover from Tommy John surgery. Márquez missed most of last season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery in May 2023.

NEXT

In the second game of the four-game series, Milwaukee’s LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 11.25 ERA) faces RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.82).