Jake Cave’s clutch, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Colorado Rockies to a dramatic 8-7 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night. The Rockies’ win marked their first consecutive victories in a month, highlighting a resilient performance against their NL Central opponents.
Brenton Doyle powered the Rockies with two home runs, while Charlie Blackmon celebrated his birthday with a solo shot, adding to the team’s offensive fireworks.
“It takes an effort like tonight, where we got good starting pitching, pitched in relief well when we needed to, got some clutch hitting, and always played good defense,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “That’s what it takes to win games and that’s why we won it, because we did four of those things.”
Milwaukee’s William Contreras was a standout, hitting a home run among his three hits and finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Willy Adames contributed three hits, including an RBI single that sparked a three-run eighth inning, putting the Brewers ahead 7-6.
Doyle’s second homer of the game, a two-out solo blast in the eighth inning off Elvis Peguero, tied the game for the fourth time, setting the stage for Cave’s game-winning hit.
Tyler Kinley (4-1) earned the win with a scoreless 10th inning, escaping a jam by striking out Garrett Mitchell. Despite Milwaukee’s valiant effort, including intentional walks to load the bases and an extra outfielder brought in to bolster the infield, Cave’s decisive single found the open outfield, scoring pinch-runner Aaron Schunk from third.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “They hung in there. Got behind early but they came battling back. Had some opportunities but we didn’t execute in the end the way we needed to, and credit the Rockies. They did a great job of coming up with big hits.”
Reflecting on his first career walk-off hit, Cave expressed his excitement. “It’s awesome. I was pumped,” Cave said. “You know, when you’re a little kid, you think about that, they walk a couple guys to get to you, and you win the game. I dreamt about it and I hope I get an opportunity to do it again, but it was amazing.”
The Brewers initially took a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning on Contreras’ solo homer, following the ejection of manager Pat Murphy by plate umpire Brennan Miller over a disputed call. Colorado responded with two runs in the fifth and a run-scoring double by Nolan Jones in the sixth.
The Rockies jumped to an early 3-0 lead with Doyle’s two-run homer to center field off Bryse Wilson in the second inning and Blackmon’s solo shot in the third. Blackmon, celebrating his 38th birthday, belted a 3-0 pitch 431 feet to center, adding to his career tradition of birthday homers.
This win not only showcased the Rockies’ tenacity but also underscored the importance of team effort and clutch performances in securing victories.