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 "It was a football game out there tonight," Brewers catcher
Jonathan Lucroy said. "We were able to hold on, get it done."
The victory improved Milwaukee's road record to a major league best
25-15 (.600) and, coupled with a loss by the St. Louis Cardinals,
gave the Brewers (45-30) a 5 1/2-game lead in the National League
Central. They are 4-1 on their current seven-game road trip that
began in Arizona.
The loss was the fourth straight for the Rockies (34-39), who have
lost eight of 11 games this month at Coors Field where they are
19-15.
Shortstop Jean Segura homered twice for his first career multi-homer
game, and left fielder Khris Davis also homered for the Brewers.
First baseman Justin Morneau, who tied his season high with five
RBIs, left fielder Corey Dickerson, who tied his career high with
four hits, and right fielder Brandon Barnes homered for the Rockies.
The teams combined for 35 hits, 19 by the Brewers. The Brewers
scored in each of the first four innings and seven overall in a game
that lasted 3 hours, 59 minutes.
Second baseman Scooter Gennett, center fielder Carlos Gomez, Segura,
third baseman Aramis Ramirez and right fielder Ryan Braun each had
three hits, and Segura, Davis and Ramirez each drove in three runs.
"It's unbelievable," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I know the
ball carries well, but there were balls squared up all night long.
It's amazing how many balls were hit hard."
Francisco Rodriguez, who leads the majors in saves, retired the side
in order in the ninth to earn his 24th save in 26 chances.
Brewers starter Marco Estrada (6-4) gave up six runs and seven hits
in two innings but settled down. He worked 5 2/3 innings and gave up
just three more hits, the last a two-out double in the sixth by
center fielder Charlie Blackmon. Left-hander Zach Duke then relieved
Estrada and surrendered a two-run homer to Dickerson, the only
batter he faced, to cut Milwaukee's lead to 11-8. The homer was
Dickerson's ninth of the season.
"I made one mistake today, and it was to Morneau," said Estrada,
referring to the 1-1 four-seam fastball he left up, instead of
throwing a sinker. "Kind of second-guessed myself. But other than
that, I thought I threw the ball well. I pitched way too good today
for the line to be the way it was."
 Braun doubled home a run in the seventh to make it 12-8, but Barnes
hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning off Brandon
Kintzler, trimming the Brewers' lead to 12-10. On his third homer of
the season, Barnes was able to finally trot around the bases,
following two inside-the-park home runs.
The Brewers scored three runs off Chris Martin in the sixth and one
off Matt Belisle in the seventh and Adam Ottavino in the ninth.
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In the third, Colorado starter Christian Bergman -- who was roughed
up for nine hits, including three homers, and seven runs in three
innings -- gave up a single to Ramirez, whose liner struck Bergman
(0-2) in the front of his left wrist. Davis followed with a two-run
homer, and, with two out, Segura put the Brewers ahead 7-6 with his
second homer of the game. Rockies manager Walt Weiss said he pulled
Bergman more because of his left hand, which was swollen, than his
pitching. X-rays on the hand were negative.
"I was leaving pitches up in the zone," said Bergman, who made his
third career start and gave up five hits with two strikes. "My
fastball was up a little bit. Offspeeds were up, too, and they were
capitalizing on it."
Tommy Kahnle, who needed 53 pitches to get through two innings, took
the mound in the fourth for the Rockies and gave up two walks and
Gomez's single that put Milwaukee ahead 8-6.
Bergman had given up three runs in the first, but Estrada yielded
two in the bottom of that inning, which set the tone for the entire
game.
"Definitely a good night to hit," said Rockies shortstop Troy
Tulowitzki, who went 3-for-4 with a double to raise his average to
.363 and his home average to .487, both tops in the majors, "but I
think there were a lot of mistakes, a lot of 0-2 hits where if
pitchers made their pitches, they'd be a little better off. There's
no doubt the ball was flying. There were a lot of bad pitches on
both sides."
NOTES: With an infield single in the first, Brewers CF Carlos Gomez
extended his career-high hitting streak to 16 games. He has reached
base safely in 33 consecutive games, tied for the fifth longest
streak in franchise history. ...LHP Christian Friedrich will make
his 2014 Rockies debut and start Saturday, taking the turn of RHP
Juan Nicasio, who was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Friedrich is 1-8 with a 7.89 ERA in 13 starts for Colorado Springs.
... Milwaukee RF Ryan Braun played his 1,000th game and became the
12th player to appear in 1,000 or more games with the Brewers. ...
Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado, who suffered a fractured left middle
finger May 23, underwent an X-ray Thursday that showed the bone is
healing well and he will begin some hand exercises. ... RHP Rafael
Betancourt, who signed a minor league contract with the Rockies
after undergoing Tommy John surgery Sept. 17, threw a total of 26
pitches -- fastballs and changeups -- to Ryan Wheeler and Kyle
Parker, the first time he has faced hitters since his surgery.
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