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Rockies tie game in 9th, but Brewers prevail in extras

Apr 1, 2013 - 10:48 PM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Jonathan Lucroy hit a game-winning sacrifice fly to center field in the 10th inning as Milwaukee edged the Colorado Rockies, 5-4, on Monday at Miller Park in both teams' season opener.

Lucroy finished 0-for-4, but his bases-loaded sac fly in the 10th proved to be the difference-maker for the Brewers, who snapped a four-game losing streak on Opening Day.

Aramis Ramirez went 2-for-4 and hit a two-out, two-run double in eighth inning to put Milwaukee ahead 4-3 and Rickie Weeks added two hits and two runs scored in the victory. Norichika Aoki added a solo homer.

"I was sitting on a fastball, hopefully over the middle," Lucroy said, "he (Adam Ottavino) left a slider up in the zone and I was just trying to meet it."

Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer and Carlos Gonzalez added a solo shot for the Rockies, who looked to kick off the Walt Weiss era in promising fashion after leading 3-1 in the eighth with two outs before the Brewers rallied. Dexter Fowler hit a clutch game-tying solo homer in the ninth inning with two outs, though the Rockies couldn't secure the victory.

Colorado finished a mere 64-98 last season, good for the worst winning percentage in franchise history. Weiss replaced Jim Tracy.

With two outs in the eighth and runners on first and second base, Ramirez doubled down the left field line to drive in both runs and put Milwaukee ahead 4-3.

Reliever John Axford, who led the Majors in blown saves last season with nine, started the final inning well and struck out the first two batters he faced. The right-handed reliever made a mistake, though, when he gave Fowler an inside fastball on an 0-0 pitch and he tied the contest at 4-4 with a solo homer to right field.

"Fowler was obviously looking for a pitch with two outs and I'm assuming it was a fastball," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "We gave him one right down the middle waist high and he hit it. Two years ago Axford gave up a homer like that and he was lights out after."

Colorado's Jhoulys Chacin tossed 6 2/3 innings of three-hit, one-run ball and struck out six batters he faced. Wilton Lopez gave up all three runs in the eighth on four hits. Ottavino (0-1) picked up the loss after hitting a batter and walking two which loaded the bases in the 10th.

"After I walked Ryan Braun I fell behind Ramirez and didn't want to give him something to hit,"Ottavino said. "The thing that hurt was the trouble I had with a slider to Lucroy and I didn't think he hit it that well, but give him credit."

Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo, who made his fourth straight Opening Day start, lasted five innings and gave up three runs on 10 hits -- including both home runs -- and struck out three. The righty was 16-9 last year, but has yet to record a win while on the mound in season openers.

After Gonzalez singled through the hole in the third, Tulowitzki followed with a two-run homer. Tulowitzki crushed the first pitch he saw over the right- center field wall to make it 2-0 in favor of the visitors.

Milwaukee answered in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer from Aoki -- his second career shot off Chacin -- to right field which made it a 2-1 contest.

Gonzalez led off the fifth frame by hitting a 3-1 pitch to deep center for a solo home run to make it 3-1 Colorado. Not only was it Gonzalez's first homer of the season, but it was also the 100th of his career.

In the eighth, Aoki kept the Brewers alive by beating out a potential inning- ending double play, before moving to third on a Weeks' base hit. Braun came up with two outs and hit a infield single to Tulowitzki who had no choice but to hold the ball and let one run score to make it 3-2.

Game Notes

The Brewers are 3-2 on Opening Day at Miller Park ... The announced attendance was 45,781, good for the fifth-largest crowd in the park's history ... The Rockies have a streak of 103 games since June 12 without a starter reaching 100 pitches ... Milwaukee placed third in the NL Central last year at 83-79, 14 games behind the division champion Cincinnati Reds ... It was Milwaukee's first season-opening win since 2008.