Road woes.
It’s a subject the Rockies have grown weary of discussing.
“Maybe this will show people we can win on the road,” right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said Wednesday night after the Rockies beat the Brewers 5-4 in 10 innings at Miller Park in Milwaukee, giving them a 3-0 road record to open the season.
But the subject won’t go away until the Rockies are road tested over the long haul. Last year, they won eight games away from Coors Field in April but just 13 road games the rest of the season and finished 21-60 on the road.
WATCH:
The Rockies’ 255 runs scored on the road last year were the fewest in club history, but their offense was potent in Milwaukee this week. The Rockies outscored the Brewers 20-6, slugging 14 doubles and five home runs. They had at least 10 hits in all three games and are hitting .322.
“It’s great getting off to a start like this, particularly on the road, where we had some tough history — especially last year,” manager Walt Weiss said. “But this is a different year. It’s a different team. It’s a nice way to start.”
But it’s just a start.
The big challenge comes next week after the Rockies’ three-game home series against the Chicago Cubs, which starts Friday. The Rockies will play three games at San Francisco, starting Monday, followed by three more at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Power turned on. Former starting catcher Wilin “The Bull” Rosario beat the Brewers on Wednesday with a pinch-hit solo homer in the 10th inning, his first at-bat of the season. As he returned to the dugout, Troy Tulowitzki and Justin Morneau greeted Rosario with the “The Sign of the Bull” — index fingers held up as horns on each side of the head.
Rosario fell behind 0-2 against closer Francisco Rodriguez before working a full count. Rodriguez then threw a 90 mph fastball that Rosario cranked over the right-center field fence.
“He had a great at-bat,” said Rodriguez, who had 44 saves for the Brewers last year. “I got ahead of him 0-2, threw some pitches close to make him chase and he didn’t. In that situation, you cannot be walking people, especially with the top of the order coming up and how they’ve been swinging the bat. You have to try to get him out. He got a good pitch to hit and hit it out.” Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
