MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Wilin Rosario was poised to make his first start of the year when he was scratched just before game time.He still left his mark with a pinch-hit homer in the 10th inning to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.Rosario initially was in the batting order in place of Justin Morneau, who was hit in the neck by a ball while running the bases Tuesday night. Morneau took batting practice and talked his way into the lineup, sending Rosario to the bench for the third straight game. 
The big right-hander, however, hit a full-count pitch from Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez (0-1) over the wall in center field, giving the Rockies a three-game sweep in the season-opening series."I just want to be positive," Rosario said. "I want to play every day, but I want to be focused. I want to win. I want what's best for the team."Rodriguez threw a pair of strikes to Rosario and then three consecutive balls before giving up the go-ahead homer."In that situation you cannot walk people, especially with the top of the order coming up and the way they hit the ball," Rodriguez said. "You have to try to find a way to get him out instead of putting him on base. He got a good pitch to hit and he got hot."Colorado closer LaTroy Hawkins (1-0) got the win despite giving up a pair of runs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.John Axford, who had 106 saves for the Brewers from 2009-13, pitched the 10th to earn his first save for Colorado after signing as a non-roster invitee during the offseason."We've got guys off the bench who are still locked in," Axford said about Rosario's heroics. "He won us the ballgame."The Brewers forced extra innings when pinch-hitter Ryan Braun hit a weak RBI dribbler that stopped before third base for a single, scoring Gerardo Parra without a play and bringing the Brewers to 4-3. Carlos Gomez then singled in Jean Segura.Carlos Gonzalez, whose 2014 season was marred by injuries, hit a two-run homer in the eighth to give Colorado a 4-2 lead.Adam Lind hit a two-run home run for Milwaukee in the third inning. Lind is 6 for 10 with three walks in three games.Corey Dickerson hit a solo home run, his second, on an 0-2 pitch from Peralta to tie the score 2-2 with one out in the seventh.
The big right-hander, however, hit a full-count pitch from Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez (0-1) over the wall in center field, giving the Rockies a three-game sweep in the season-opening series."I just want to be positive," Rosario said. "I want to play every day, but I want to be focused. I want to win. I want what's best for the team."Rodriguez threw a pair of strikes to Rosario and then three consecutive balls before giving up the go-ahead homer."In that situation you cannot walk people, especially with the top of the order coming up and the way they hit the ball," Rodriguez said. "You have to try to find a way to get him out instead of putting him on base. He got a good pitch to hit and he got hot."Colorado closer LaTroy Hawkins (1-0) got the win despite giving up a pair of runs in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.John Axford, who had 106 saves for the Brewers from 2009-13, pitched the 10th to earn his first save for Colorado after signing as a non-roster invitee during the offseason."We've got guys off the bench who are still locked in," Axford said about Rosario's heroics. "He won us the ballgame."The Brewers forced extra innings when pinch-hitter Ryan Braun hit a weak RBI dribbler that stopped before third base for a single, scoring Gerardo Parra without a play and bringing the Brewers to 4-3. Carlos Gomez then singled in Jean Segura.Carlos Gonzalez, whose 2014 season was marred by injuries, hit a two-run homer in the eighth to give Colorado a 4-2 lead.Adam Lind hit a two-run home run for Milwaukee in the third inning. Lind is 6 for 10 with three walks in three games.Corey Dickerson hit a solo home run, his second, on an 0-2 pitch from Peralta to tie the score 2-2 with one out in the seventh.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
