Rockies 8, Brewers 7 (10 innings): Walk-off loss stings extra due to controversial call at first base

DENVER – There was an ejection, five lead changes, big swings late and even extra innings.

And yet as far as games at Coors Field goes, it was fairly standard – result included for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Jake Cave lined a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Colorado Rockies a 8-7 win Monday night, sending the Brewers to an 11th loss in their last 14 games in Denver.

Box score: Rockies 8, Brewers 7 (10 innings)

The Brewers (50-35) held a lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but Elvis Peguero gave up Brenton Doyle’s second homer of the evening to tie the game.

The top of the 10th inning was a failure by the Brewers offense, which was unable to convert even the automatic runner at second into a run against reliever Tyler Kinley, he of a 8.27 ERA. With two in scoring position, Rhys Hoskins grounded out weakly to third for the second out and then Garrett Mitchell struck out to end the inning.

Joel Payamps picked up his third loss in 12 days, each time entering in a tie game and promptly allowing the opponent to take the lead. Cave’s single to center was the first hit of the inning after a lineout and a pair of intentional walks.

Brewers rallied to take the lead in the eighth, then gave it right back

Games are never over at this park.

Ever.

The Brewers pieced together three runs in the top of the eighth to turn a 6-4 deficit into a 7-6 lead against Colorado relievers Anthony Molina and Justin Lawrence.

Eric Haase, playing in his first game with the Brewers, dumped a two-out single to left to score the go-ahead run as the fifth different hit of the inning for Milwaukee.

Christian Yelich led things off with a ringing triple to the gap in left-center. Willy Adames, who had been 0 for 27 before a single earlier in the day, then singled him home and moved to third on Sal Frelick's single to left – which occurred through a catcher's interference on the Rockies' Elias Diaz. Rhys Hoskins' sac fly tied the ballgame at six, then Garrett Mitchell, also in his first game of the season, singled to bring Haase to the plate.

Haase battled to a full count with the aid of a couple generous calls from behind the plate before looping a sweeper just over the glove of leaping third baseman Ryan McMahon to plate Frelick.

The lead didn't last long. Elvis Peguero gave up a two-out solo homer to Brenton Doyle, his second of the day to tie the ballgame at 7-7.

Relief ace Bryan Hudson, who has pitched only inning since last Wednesday but also only worked on less than two days' rest once since May 20, seems unavailable.

Peguero, who made a living as a right-handed sinker specialist has struggled against right-handers in 2024. Doyle's homer was the third he's allowed to a righty, and they had a .801 OPS on the day against him coming in.

Pat Murphy ejected after questionable call

Brewers manager Pat Murphy was ejected by home plate umpire Brennan Miller while disputing a call made by first base umpire Brian O'Nora in the top of the fourth.

O'Nora ruled Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz had run out of the baseline while trying to avoid a tag from pitcher Austin Gomber. Ortiz sidestepped Gomber on his way to first after laying down a push bunt, appearing to remain within the 3-foot lane runners are allowed to avoid a tag, but O'Nora immediately ruled Ortiz had vacated the running lane.

Ortiz disputed the call immediately and then Murphy came out to argue further. It was his third ejection of 2024.

Rule 5.09(b)(1) states a runner is out when he "runs more than three feet away from his base path to avoid being tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball. A runner’s base path is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight line from the runner to the base he is attemptingto reach safely."

Ortiz's body was on the outer edge of the foul line when the tag attempt from Gomber occured. He wound up directly on the outer chalk line that marks the running lane. The distance between the lines is 3 feet.

William Contreras immediately followed with a homer, but the Rockies reclaimed the lead with two more runs off Bryse Wilson in the bottom half.

The Rockies pushed their lead to 6-4 in the sixth when Hoby Milner came in and allowed consecutive doubles to Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones. Milner has now allowed at least a run in each of his last four outings and is up to 11 earned runs allowed in his last seven innings of work.

Brewers get three runs back in the fourth

It's singles night at Coors Field. And not as a promotion.

The Brewers lined five singles in the fourth inning to even the score at 3-3. Jackson Chourio came up with the bases loaded and nobody out and, rather than hit the team's sixth grand slam in nine games, laced a two-run hit to left. After a Hoskins double play grounder, Blake Perkins roped a single to right to tie the game against Rockies lefty Austin Gomber.

Hard contact against Bryse Wilson and then some

After opener Rob Zastryzny threw a perfect first inning Wilson came in from the bullpen as the bulk arm and given up a plethora of loud swings to the Rockies.

Brendan Rodgers scalded a one-out single and Michael Toglia followed with a 108.2 mph line drive to left that Christian Yelich tracked down. There would be no tracking down the next swing, however, which was a 445-foot homer off the bat of Doyle to put the Rockies up, 2-0.

Wilson got ahead in the count, 0-2, on Doyle before surrendering a homer on a 2-2 count. It was the seventh homer given up by Wilson after getting ahead 0-2. It was part of a three extra-base hit night for Doyle.

Even the next ball was rocketed at 107.6 off the bat but right at Blake Perkins in center.

It didn't get any better the next inning, either. Charlie Blackmon jumped all over a 3-0 fastball from Wilson, sending it 431 feet for a homer to right-center.

Through three innings, the average exit velocity against Wilson was 102.4.

Brewers schedule

Brewers at Rockies, 7:40 p.m. Tuesday. Milwaukee LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 11.25) vs. Colorado RHP Ryan Feltner (1-7, 5.82). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.

Brewers at Rockies, 7:40 p.m. Wednesday. Milwaukee RHP Colin Rea (7-2, 3.61) vs. Colorado RHP Dakota Hudson (2-11, 5.84). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.

Brewers at Rockies, 7:10 p.m. Thursday. Milwaukee RHP Tobias Myers (5-2, 3.26) vs. Colorado RHP Cal Quantrill (6-6, 3.78). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rockies 8, Brewers 7 (10 innings): Walk-off loss stings extra due to controversial call at first base