Brewers, Gallardo Get Blown Out by Rockies in Finale

Jun 29, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario (20) scores after a throwing error by Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (20) in the fifth inning at Miller Park. The Rockies scored 3 runs on the play after 2 Brewer errors. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Brewers came into Sunday looking for their second series sweep over the Colorado Rockies in the span of a week, and a chance to sweep the season series with the Rockies seven games to none.

With Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura out of the lineup the Brewers sent Yovani Gallardo (5-4, 3.23 ERA) to take on former Brewer Jorge De La Rosa (7-6, 4.78 ERA).

Brewer fans may remember De La Rosa as one of the six players Milwaukee received from Arizona in the Richie Sexson trade of 2003, along with Chris Capuano, Craig Counsell, Chad Moeller, Lyle Overbay and Junior Spivey.

There was a lot on the line today, with a win Gallardo would pass Ben Sheets for fifth on the Brewers all-time wins list.  Additionally, only twice in franchise history have the Brewers swept the season series from another team.

It didn’t go according to plan for Milwaukee in front of a sellout crowd of 45,656 Brewers faithful as Gallardo got knocked around and poor defense sunk the Brewers en route to a 10-4 loss.

Gallardo got two quick outs to open the game, but Justin Morneau drew a walk and Troy Tulowitzki singled to put two on for Corey Dickerson. Dickerson sliced a double down the left-field line to drive in both base runners.

Dickerson came around to score on a single by Wilin Rosario. Ryan Wheeler followed with a single to put two on again. DJ LeMahieu bounced out to Ramirez at third to end the inning with the Rockies up 3-0.

De la Rosa put Milwaukee down in order in the bottom of the first, with a ground out by Rickie Weeks, and fly outs by Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy.

De la Rosa came out in the top of the second and led off with a single. Two batters later he moved to third on a Brandon Barnes double that Khris Davis misplayed and scored on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Morneau.

Tulowitzki flew out to center to end the inning with the Rockies on top 4-0. Davis picked a walk in the bottom of the frame, but was erased on a Mark Reynolds double-play ground out to keep the Brewers scoreless.

With one out in the top of the third the Rockies picked up their seventh hit, a double by Rosario down the line in left. Two batters later LeMahieu drove him home with a single to right to make it 5-0.

With two outs in the bottom of the third Gallardo recorded the Brewers first hit on a flare between second and center field but Weeks struck out to end the inning.

Gallardo picked up his first three-up, three-down inning of the game in the top of the fourth.

Braun led off the bottom half of the fourth with a bomb over the fence in right to put Milwaukee on the board. Lucroy followed with a double to left and moved to third on a wild pitch by de la Rosa.

Aramis Ramirez followed with a walk to put runners at the corners for Davis. With a 2-2 count on Davis, Ramirez stole second to put two runners in scoring position.

Davis drove a liner to deep right field and Barnes made a great leaping catch on it, but Lucroy came in on the sacrifice to cut the lead. After getting ahead 3-and-0, Reynolds struck out for the second out of the inning. Bianchi grounded out to third for the third out, but the Brewers cut the lead to three runs in the inning, making it 5-2.

A throwing error on Bianchi put Tulowitzki on to lead off the fifth inning. The official scorer ruled it a hit, but a good throw would have eliminated Tulowitzki on the ground ball.

Dickerson followed with a single left, to once again put multiple base runners on for the Rockies. Rosario followed with a hard grounder down the line in left that got by Ramirez.

Tulowitzki scored on the hit, Bianchi threw home to get Dickerson who was safe, and Lucroy fired to third to get Rosario and launched the ball into the outfield to bring Rosario home.

Ramirez, and Lucroy were given errors on the play, Ramirez on the initial ground ball, and Lucroy on his throw to third. What should have been a double play ground out turned into a bases clearing 4-base error.

Wheeler grounded out to Reynolds for the first out of the inning. LeMahieu lined out to a leaping Reynolds for the second out of the inning. De la Rosa grounded out to Gallardo to end the inning with the Rockies up 8-2.

Herrera, Gallardo and Weeks went down in order in the Brewers half of the fifth inning.

Tom Gorzelanny came on to pitch the sixth for Milwaukee, closing the book on Gallardo. Yovani gave up eight runs, five earned, on 10 hits and a walk in five innings of work. He struck out three and picked up the loss.

Charlie Blackmon led off the inning with a single to right off Gorzelanny but that was it for the Rockies as Gorzelanny picked up a scoreless inning of work.

Braun led off the bottom half of the inning with a double and moved to third on a Lucroy fly out to center. He came in to score on a wild pitch. Ramirez got plunked to cap a seven-pitch at-bat.

Ramirez moved to second on a wild pitch and stole third base on the next pitch, marking the first time in his 17-year career that he’s stolen two bases in a game. He came in to score on a Davis ground out to second to cut the lead to 8-4 Colorado. Reynolds stuck out to end the inning.

Gorzelanny returned to the hill for the seventh inning and had no trouble putting down the Rockies one-two-three.

Bianchi, Herrera and Gorzelanny came up for the Brewers in the bottom half of the inning against new Rockies pitcher Tommy Kahnle, and did just about what you’d expect to send the game to the eighth.

The final line on de la Rosa was four runs on four hits and two walks in six innings of work while striking out four. He earned the win for Colorado.

Despite the fact that he hit for himself (and probably because Segura and Gomez were unavailable today), Gorzelanny didn’t return to the mound for the eighth as the Brewers called on Brandon Kintzler. Gorzelanny tossed two scoreless innings for Milwaukee, recording two strike outs and allowing one hit.

LeMahieu led off the eighth with a single back up the middle. Charlie Culberson followed with a two-run home run to left to make it 10-4. Kintzler got the next two outs before a Morneau single to left. Tulowitzki followed with a single of his own to center, ending the day for Kintzler.

Ron Roenicke came out with the hook and brought in Wei-Chung Wang for his first appearance since June 15th. With a 1-on-1 count Dickerson left the game with a leg issue and Drew Stubbs came on to pinch hit and drew a walk to load the bases, but Rosario grounded out weakly to short to end the inning.

Kintzler’s final line was 2/3 of an inning, allowing four hits and two runs.

Kahnle returned to the mound to pitch the eighth for Colorado. He quickly worked through Weeks, Braun and Lucroy to keep the Rockies on top by six runs.

The Brewers gave Ramirez and Lucroy the ninth inning off as Reynolds moved to third, Lyle Overbay came in to play first, and Martin Maldonado came in behind the plate.

Wang returned to the mound for the ninth inning and promptly struck out pinch-hitter Michael McKenry. LeMahieu grounded out for the second out and Culberson grounded out to end the inning.  Wang pitched 1 1/3 innings, and allowed just a walk while stranding two inherited runners.

After two perfect innings from Kahnle, former Brewer Latroy Hawkins came out to pitch the bottom of the ninth for the Rockies. Overbay led off with a walk to become the first Milwaukee base runner since the sixth inning.

Davis grounded out to third to move Overbay to second. Reynolds followed with a ground out to short for the second out. Bianchi grounded out to third to end the game.

Gallardo picked up the loss for Milwaukee, de la Rosa earned the win. He has the only two Rockies wins in their last 13 games played.

Sunday was the Brewers’ 20th straight game without a day off. They went 13-7 over that span. They’ll be off Monday before traveling to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays for two games and another off day on Thursday before going to Cincinnati.