MILWAUKEE—Carlos Gonzalez homered and drove in three runs to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 6-2 victory over the punchless Brewers on Wednesday night and snap a six-game skid in Milwaukee.
Kevin Millwood scattered two runs over six innings for the Rockies, who kept the Brewers from moving closer to their first division title in 29 years by roughing up starter Shaun Marcum.
Trailing 1-0, Colorado scored three in third capped by Gonzalez’s homer, another in the fourth on a solo homer by Wilin Rosario and two more in the fifth, aided by a Brewers error.
Milwaukee’s lead in the NL Central dropped to 5 1/2 games over St. Louis, which beat Pittsburgh 3-2. The Brewers have Thursday off before a six-game road trip against division rivals Cincinnati and Chicago.
Milwaukee has cooled off since building a 10 1/2-game lead in the division, losing six of the last eight games while St. Louis has won seven of the last eight.
The Brewers remain in an offensive funk, scoring 16 times and batting .202 over their eight-game slump. Milwaukee is seeking its first title since winning the AL East in 1982.
Millwood (3-2) has found a role in Colorado after bouncing around the minors with the Yankees and Red Sox organizations this season. He allowed four hits and two walks over six innings in his fourth quality start since signing with the Rockies on Aug. 10.
Corey Hart tripled and scored on Nyjer Morgan’s groundout to start the game, but that was Milwaukee’s only hit off Millwood until Yuniesky Betancourt’s single in the fifth.
Colorado answered with three runs with two out off Marcum (12-7) in the third. Mark Ellis singled in a run before Gonzalez’s homer deep to right-center field made it 3-1.
Rosario added a solo shot—the second homer of his career—in the fourth.
The Rockies made it 6-1 in the fifth on Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly and a fielding error by second baseman Rickie Weeks that allowed Ellis to score. The sloppy play drew boos from the crowd because Ellis had stopped at third on Jason Giambi’s double before Weeks failed to cleanly catch Hart’s throw from right field.
Milwaukee scored a run on a wild pitch from Millwood with two out in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-2, but never broke through Colorado’s bullpen.
The Rockies didn’t have shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (hip bursitis) or first baseman Todd Helton (back stiffness) in the lineup after both started the night before. Tulowitzki is not expected back for several days.
NOTES: Weeks left for a pinch runner in the sixth. He’s left early in each of the last three games as the team has limited his innings after he severely sprained his left ankle on July 27. … Rockies C Eliezer Alfonzo was suspended 100 games, becoming the first player suspended twice for performance-enhancing drugs under MLB’s testing program. … Brewers radio broadcaster Bob Uecker said he plans to return for his 42nd season. The 76-year-old Uecker had two heart surgeries last year. … The Brewers have a day off Thursday before beginning a three-game series in Cincinnati. LHP Randy Wolf (12-9, 3.44 ERA) will face Reds RHP Bronson Arroyo (8-11, 5.28) in the opener. … Colorado returns home to face San Francisco beginning Thursday. RHP Jhoulys Chacin (11-11, 3.64) faces Giants RHP Ryan Vogelsong (10-7, 2.66).
