Carter's homer in 10th lifts Brewers past Rockies
DENVER -- Chris Carter hit his 41st home run with two outs in the top of the 10th inning Saturday night, giving the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Carter tied Colorado's Nolan Arenado for the National League lead in home runs when he drove a 3-2 slider from closer Adam Ottavino (1-3) into the left-field stands. With the ball in flight, a knowing Ottavino hung his head.
The Rockies scored two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to tie it.
Tyler Thornburg (7-5) blew a save in the ninth but got the win. Jacob Barnes gave up a one-out single to Carlos Gonzalez and threw a wild pitch in the process of striking out David Dahl. Barnes earned his first save in the big leagues by getting Jordan Patterson to fly to right.
The Brewers scored their first run on a swinging bunt in the fifth after the Rockies botched a potential double-play grounder and added two more in the eighth.
Milwaukee's Wily Peralta capped his comeback from a two-month demotion to Triple-A with a superb outing. He worked six scoreless innings and allowed five singles with no walks and three strikeouts. In 10 starts since returning to the Brewers after being demoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs for two months, Peralta has a 2.92 ERA.
The Rockies got everything they could have hoped for from Jeff Hoffman in his spot start. In five innings, Hoffman gave up two hits and one run with no walks and seven strikeouts while pitching in place of Tyler Anderson, who was scratched from the start with what he termed a "dead arm."
Eddie Butler relieved Hoffman and retired the first seven batters he faced before Jonathan Villar singled with one out in the eighth. He stole second and took third on a wild pitch as Butler completed a walk to Domingo Santana.
Jordan Lyles came on and gave up a run-scoring double to Ryan Braun. Santana was cut down at the plate on a 7-6-2 relay with Braun taking third on the throw home.
Lyles then walked Carter and gave up a run-scoring single to Hernan Perez that made it 3-0.
Tony Wolters greeted Corey Knebel in the eighth with a leadoff triple that kicked off the base of the wall in right-center. Pat Valaika followed with a run-scoring single.
With one out, second baseman Scooter Gennett bobbled Daniel Descalso's grounder. Nolan Arenado flied to right, but Gonzalez poked a run-scoring single to left-center, cutting Milwaukee's lead to 3-2. Knebel got Dahl to ground into an inning-ending force play.
Patterson led off the Rockies' ninth with his third hit, a first-pitch single off closer Thornburg. Pinch hitter Stephen Cardullo hit a liner that deflected off the glove of third baseman Yadiel Rivera to shortstop Orlando Arcia, who threw out Cardullo. Thornburg's wild pitch moved Patterson to third, and pinch hitter Tom Murphy doubled him home, giving Thornburg his seventh blown save in 20 opportunities.
After Valaika took a third strike, Thornburg intentionally walked Charlie Blackmon and struck out Descalso to send the game to extra innings.
Hoffman, making his first start since Sept. 14, retired the first 11 Brewers batters he faced before Ryan Braun grounded a first-pitch single up the middle with two outs in the fourth. Braun took second when Tony Wolters was charged with a passed ball but was stranded there when Hoffman struck out Chris Carter, getting him to flail at a curveball that broke down and away and into the dirt.
Hoffman's only walk came to Hernan Perez to open the fifth. He took third when shortstop Cristhian Adames fielded a potential double-play grounder and threw wide of second base. Perez scored on a swinging bunt as Martin Maldonaldo tapped a ball that Hoffman had no play on after fielding it near the third-base line.
Both runners moved into a scoring position as Hoffman struck out pinch hitter Scooter Gennett, but threw a wild pitch on the final strike.
Hoffman struck out Peralta and intentionally walked left-handed hitting Villar to load the bases for right-handed hitting Domingo Santana, who struck out on a 96 mph fastball. It was Hoffman's seventh strikeout.
While holding the Rockies scoreless through the fifth, Peralta allowed five singles and got nine outs on ground balls.
NOTES: Rockies 1B Jordan Patterson made his second major league start and first at first base. He appeared in eight previous games and started in left field on Sept. 21. ... Brewers 1B Chris Carter and Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado are tied for the National League lead with 159 games played.