Final
Wolf wins in debut, Brewers top Rockies
Apr 7, 2010 - 4:43 AM By COLIN FLY AP Sports WriterMILWAUKEE(AP) -- Randy Wolf was amazed at the standing ovation he received after what he considered a very average performance. That's just how desperate the Brewers are to see one of their starters succeed.
"I like watching this team when I'm not pitching, so I can imagine as a Milwaukee Brewer fan and somebody from this area, it's got to be exciting to come to the park every day," Wolf said after his successful debut in Milwaukee's 7-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. "Obviously, I've got to pitch better than that. I can't rely on guys scoring five, six, seven runs a game."
It helps.
Casey McGehee hit a three-run homer in the first, Rickie Weeks added a solo shot off Rockies starter Greg Smith (0-1) and Prince Fielder was on base all four at-bats, scoring three times and driving in another run.
"They keep it light," Wolf said. "It's fun just because the guys battle, they enjoy each other, they know each other real well here."
Milwaukee snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Rockies despite Ian Stewart, who homered for the second straight day, doubled, tripled and scored three times.
Wolf (1-0) struck out eight in 6 2-3 innings in his first start since signing a $29.75 million, three-year contract in the offseason to bolster Milwaukee's starting staff.
Wolf received raucous cheers each time he struck out a batter, a sharp difference from last year, when most Milwaukee fans were howling in disgust at a rotation that compiled a majors-worst 5.37 ERA.
"That's why we got him here. He did a nice job tonight. A strike-throwing machine - 97 pitches, 72 strikes," Brewers manager Ken Macha said. "That's pretty impressive."
Wolf left with two on and two outs in the seventh.
Reliever Mitch Stetter retired Todd Helton on a popup to end the threat and LaTroy Hawkins pitched a perfect eighth, but Trevor Hoffman ran into trouble on the way to his 592nd career save.
After Milwaukee scored two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, Hoffman allowed a leadoff triple to Ian Stewart, who scored on Seth Smith's groundout. Carlos Gonzalez hit a flare single with two outs to bring up the tying run in pinch-hitter Jason Giambi, who struck out on a 73 mph changeup.
"We kept battling like crazy," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "We had the tying run standing there at home plate with two outs in the ninth inning with a pretty good hitter up there."
Stewart, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Monday and got his wish when Duke won the national championship, hit a deep home run over the Brewers bullpen in left-center field in the second inning. He also scored in seventh.
"I feel good. I'm seeing the ball well. That's all I can really say," Stewart said.
But it was the Brewers who had to feel good about themselves with Fielder providing the moment of levity.
In the fourth, Fielder and McGehee were at the corners with no outs when Gregg Zaun hit into a double play.
Fielder should've scored easily, but he tripped, struggled to regain his balance and held onto his helmet awkwardly as he got back on his feet to sprint home. He was laughing at his mad dash before he even got back to the dugout.
"Even in the heat of the moment we can find some humor in some of the stuff going on," McGehee said. "Sometimes I think we fall into the trap of beating ourselves up over little stuff too much, and you've got to have fun while you're doing it."
Greg Smith worked five innings in his first start in the majors since 2008 in place of Jeff Francis (shoulder).
"I was a little amped up," he said. "I just missed spots. It's not like I got beat up by them, it's not like they hit pitch after pitch after pitch. They hit my mistakes."
NOTES: Weeks' homer was his first since season-ending surgery on his left wrist last year. ... Francis had a throwing session on the side in Milwaukee before the game and reported no pain. He's scheduled to throw again Wednesday. ... Rockies closer Huston Street (right shoulder) received an evaluation from Dr. James Andrews that revealed no structural damage. The Rockies expect Street to start a program to strengthen his shoulder and begin throwing with a return sometime in May.
- Brewers 7, Rockies 5 - FINAL
COLORADO ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
C Gonzalez lf 5 1 2 2 0 1 1 .600
D Fowler cf 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 .167
vb-J Giambi ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000
T Helton 1b 4 0 3 1 0 0 2 .556
T Tulowitzki ss 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 .125
B Hawpe rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .143
C Ianne
Apr 6 11:20 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY SETH SMITH SCORED IAN STEWART
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 5
MILWAUKEE 7 TOP,9TH
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: C GONZALEZ (.556, 1-FOR-4, 2 RBI)
Rockies 5, Brewers 7 Top 9, 0 OutsApr 6 11:14 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ALCIDES ESCOBAR SCORED PRINCE FIELDER
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, A ESCOBAR ON FIRST, C MCGEHEE ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 4
MILWAUKEE 7 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: L HAWKINS (-, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Rockies 4, Brewers 7 Bot 8, 0 OutsApr 6 11:05 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY PRINCE FIELDER SCORED RYAN BRAUN
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, P FIELDER ON FIRST, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 4
MILWAUKEE 6 BOTTOM,8TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: C MCGEHEE (.571, 2-FOR-3, HR, 3 RBI)
Rockies 4, Brewers 6 Bot 8, 0 OutsApr 6 10:56 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
FORCE OUT BY CARLOS GONZALEZ SCORED IAN STEWART
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C GONZALEZ ON FIRST, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 4
MILWAUKEE 5 TOP,7TH
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: D FOWLER (.000, 0-FOR-3)
Rockies 4, Brewers 5 Top 7, 0 OutsApr 6 10:16 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY RICKIE WEEKS (1) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 2 OUT
IN THE 5TH OFF GREG SMITH.
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 3, MILWAUKEE 5
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: C GOMEZ (.571, 0-FOR-2)
Rockies 3, Brewers 5 Bot 5, 0 OutsApr 6 9:44 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY CARLOS GONZALEZ SCORED CLINT BARMES
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 3
MILWAUKEE 4 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: D FOWLER (.000, 0-FOR-2)
Rockies 3, Brewers 4 Top 5, 0 OutsApr 6 9:36 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND DP BY GREGG ZAUN SCORED PRINCE FIELDER
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 2
MILWAUKEE 4 BOTTOM,4TH
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: C HART (.000, 0-FOR-1)
Rockies 2, Brewers 4 Bot 4, 0 OutsApr 6 9:30 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY IAN STEWART (2) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT IN THE
2ND OFF RANDY WOLF.
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 2, MILWAUKEE 3
DUE UP FOR COLORADO: C BARMES (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Rockies 2, Brewers 3 Top 2, 0 OutsApr 6 8:47 PM - NL
AT MILWAUKEE - SCORING UPDATE
THREE-RUN HOME RUN BY CASEY MCGEHEE (1) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH
2 OUT IN THE 1ST OFF GREG SMITH SCORED PRINCE FIELDER AND
RICKIE WEEKS.
CURRENT SCORE: COLORADO 1, MILWAUKEE 3
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: G ZAUN (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Rockies 1, Brewers 3 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 6 8:40 PM - NL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
COLORADO 1 1 2 0
MILWAUKEE 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: COL - GREG SMITH
MIL - RANDY WOLF
DUE UP FOR MILWAUKEE: R WEEKS (.333, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
C GOMEZ (.800, 1 HR, 1 RBI)
R BRAUN (.500, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
Rockies 1, Brewers 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 6 8:22 PM
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