MILWAUKEE — CarGo’s delivery was something to behold, but the Baby Bull’s homer won the game.
Wilin Rosario smashed a pinch-hit, solo shot off Milwaukee reliever Francisco Rodriguez in the 10th inning Wednesday night to lead the Rockies to an improbable 5-4 victory.
Rosario, supplanted as the Rockies’ starting catcher, made the most of his first at-bat of the season, crushing Rodriguez’s 3-2 fastball over the right-center field wall. It propelled the Rockies to a 3-0 start to their season and their first road sweep since June 13-15 of last season, when they took three straight from the Giants in San Francisco.
“It was time to live or die for us,” Rosario said. “I hit a fastball. He had thrown me a lot of off-speed pitches early in the count, so I wanted that fastball.”
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Rosario was initially supposed to start the game at first base, but when Justin Morneau pronounced himself fit enough to play, Rosario took a seat on the bench. It obviously didn’t bother him.
“It’s a dangerous bat to have sitting over there on days he doesn’t get a start,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “That’s big time right there. That’s clutch by ‘The Bull.’ To go up there against a closer in his first at-bat and hit a home run, it’s huge.
“His attitude when he shows up every day is as good as it gets. He’s ready. He doesn’t pout. And then he does what he did tonight. He’s always smiling, and he has an infectious attitude.”
The first two victories over Milwaukee — 10-0 and 5-2 — were relative walks in the ballpark. This triple-comeback victory on the road was grittier and more telling.
The Rockies seemed to have their victory signed, sealed and delivered, but the Brewers rallied for two runs in the ninth off closer LaTroy Hawkins.
Milwaukee’s Gerardo Parra and Jean Segura punched out two singles to begin the rally. Then second baseman DJ LeMahieu made a brilliant, sliding stop and threw out Scooter Gennett for the second out of the inning.
Up to the plate came pinch-hit slugger Ryan Braun, who’s suffering from a rib-cage injury. On a 2-2 count, he dribbled a weak infield single to third baseman Nolan Arenado, scoring Parra. All Hawkins needed was one out, but Carlos Gomez coaxed a single through the right side of the infield, scoring Segura and sending the game into extra innings.
After Rosario’s home run, former Brewers closer John Axford came in to get the save for the Rockies.
The Rockies were on the brink of victory when Carlos Gonzalez hit his titanic, 466-foot, two-run blast in the eighth to put Colorado ahead 4-2. CarGo knew it was gone the moment he hit it. He even paused for a moment to admire the ball’s flight. The homer nearly reached the giant video board beyond center field at Miller Park.
CarGo’s home run, off reliever Jonathan Broxton, was his first since Aug. 6 of last season before he was shut down with a knee injury.
The first comeback came in the seventh on a screaming line drive to right field by Corey Dickerson off starter Wily Peralta that tied the game 2-2. It was Dickerson’ second homer of the infant season.
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Colorado starter Eddie Butler pitched well enough to set up the Rockies’ win, but a two-batter sequence in the third inning tarnished Butler’s evening. He issued a two-out walk to Jonathan Lucroy, setting the table for Adam Lind’s two-run homer.
You could see Lind’s homer coming. He had been hitting the ball hard all series, and Butler was struggling with his command. When Butler tried to sneak in a changeup, Lind jumped all over it, knocking the 0-1 pitch 428 feet to dead center.
Butler, who had an up-and-down spring training, pitched 5 innings and gave up just four hits. His weakness was consistently falling behind in counts and issuing four walks, but all in all it was the best performance of the 24-year-old’s budding career.
“I did OK, I guess,” Butler said. “But I had too many walks. I can’t have those.”
The Rockies cut Milwaukee’s lead to 2-1 in the fifth on a leadoff double by Nolan Arenado and an opposite-field, run-scoring single to right by LeMahieu.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or
Opening statement
A look at how the Rockies completed a three-game sweep at Milwaukee to begin the season:
The Rockies outscored Milwaukee had 14 doubles and five home runs and finished with a slugging percentage of .585.The Rockies had at least 10 hits in all three games and are hitting ‘s starting pitchers allowed four runs on 16 hits in 18 IP for a 1.93 ERA.
