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Late rally for naught as Rockies fall in extras

By Ben Weinrib and Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | 1:10 AM ET

DENVER -- The National League home run race will come down to the final day. Chris Carter hit his 41st homer -- tying

the Rockies' Nolan Arenado for the league lead -- to propel the Brewers past Colorado, 4-3, in 10 innings on Saturday at

Coors Field.

"I'm going to try to not think about it too much," Carter said. "It's definitely kind of crazy that we're playing each other in the

last game."

Carter launched a 3-2 slider over the plate 404 feet to regain the lead for the Brewers. The crucial hit came off Rockies

closer Adam Ottavino, who has thrived this season against right-handerd hitters with his slider. Opponents were batting 3-

for-38 against the pitch (.079) with 17 strikeouts, and the only hits were single. Right-handers were hitting .127 against

him overall with no extra-base hits.

"I'm just stepping at the guy, so I think it's uncomfortable," Ottavino said of his slider. "It's not what people are used to. It's

got decent movement, but I think it's just the uncomfortability of it. I threw the guys seven in a row, eight maybe. I don't

know. He had to be looking for it. It was down the middle and he put a good swing on it. You tip your cap."

After watching him strike out Domingo Santana and Ryan Braun on sliders to open the inning, Carter was ready for the

pitch in a full count. Brewers rookie Jacob Barnes stranded the tying runner in scoring position in the bottom of the 10th

for his first career save.

MEDIA CLIPS – October 2, 2016

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The Rockies scored three runs in the final two frames to force extra innings. Pat Valaika and Carlos Gonzalez singled

runs home in the eighth off Corey Knebel in an inning extended by second baseman Scooter Gennett's error, and Tom

Murphy added a pinch-hit RBI double in the ninth off Tyler Thornburg, who struggled to throw his curveball in the Colorado

air and suffered his second blown save in three days.

Tom Murphy drills a RBI double to left field off Tyler Thornburg to tie the game at 3 in the bottom of the 9th

Colorado's late surge spoiled Brewers starter Wily Peralta's quality start. Peralta, Milwaukee's Opening Day starter, has

pitched his way back into favor since returning from a two-month demotion to the Minor Leagues. Including Saturday,

when he retired Charlie Blackmon after a 13-pitch opening at-bat and went on to scatter five hits with no walks in six

scoreless innings, Peralta posted a 2.92 ERA in his final 10 starts after rejoining Milwaukee's rotation.

"It's a great way to finish for Wily. I'm proud of him," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It's confidence for him as

much as anything. … He had to put himself back in the mix, and he did that."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Brewers rookie flashes glove: Thornburg, so solid for the Brewers all season, suffered his second consecutive blown save

when the Rockies scored in the ninth to send the game into extra innings. It might have been worse for Thornburg if not

for a sensational play by rookie shortstop Orlando Arcia, who barehanded pinch-hitter Stephen Cardullo's 104-mph line

drive after it caromed off third baseman Yadiel Rivera's glove and threw to first for an out that helped Thornburg minimize

the damage.

"Look, he got out of it without giving up another run," Counsell said. "That was important."

Rockies rookie, too: Both teams scored two runs in an eventful eighth inning, but Rockies left fielder David Dahl

contributed to throwing a runner out at the plate for the second straight night to keep Colorado within striking distance. A

natural center fielder still finding his way in left, Dahl threw Carter out at home in Friday's series opener and teamed with

the shortstop Valaika to nab another runner Saturday when Santana tried to score a second run on Braun's RBI double.

The Brewers asked for a replay to determine whether catcher Tony Wolters blocked the plate, but the umpires determined

there was no such infraction.

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Pat Valaika makes a perfect throw home on the relay to retire Domingo Santana and the play is confirmed after the

Brewers challenge

Punctuation: A walk and an error by Rockies shortstop Cristhian Adames in the fifth led to the only Brewers run off

Rockies starter Jeff Hoffman on Maldonado's infield single. But Hoffman, acquired in the trade that sent shortstop Troy

Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays, finished the game and his season on a high note. Facing Santana, the Rockies' rookie right-

hander received a gift strike when Wolters pulled the first pitch into the strike zone, and Santana disagreed with the

second strike. But Hoffman finished the at-bat when his 96.2-mph fastball to get the Brewers' right fielder.

"He got a big out in the fifth with the strikeout with the bases loaded," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Nice to see him

work out of that jam and put that inning down. He was on a bit of a short leash tonight because he hadn't made a start in a

while. We were thinking five innings, 75 pitches, in that neighborhood, and he did a good job for us."

Martin Maldonado opens the scoring with an infield RBI single in the top of the 5th inning

Remember me: Left-handed-hitting Jordan Patterson, a fourth-round pick in 2013 who earned a September callup

because of his controlled at-bats, is usually an outfielder but he had a solid start at first base on Saturday. He made a

diving play on an Arcia grounder to end the second, and singled in the first and fifth. He finished 3-for-4, all singles, and

scored the tying run in the ninth.

"It's good to see Jordan get a start and get some at-bats," Weiss said. "Four or five at-bats in the game and made a nice

play over there, he showed up well."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Gonzalez's eighth-inning single gave him his 100th RBI of the season. It's just the second time in his career he's reached

that mark with injuries limiting his at-bats in several seasons. He drove in 117 runs in 2010, which was one less than

Albert Pujols' league-leading total.

Carlos Gonzalez lines an RBI single to left field to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th

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HOFFMAN SHINES

Hoffman was given one more start when the Rockies scratched fellow rookie Tyler Anderson due to dead-arm. His last

two appearance had come out of the bullpen with the Rockies trying to limit his innings. Hoffman held the Brewers to one

run on two hits over five innings with a career-high seven strikeouts.

"I've been trying to punch guys out," Hoffman said. "You're trying to get outs all the time, and tonight I think the work that

I've been putting in in the bullpen, and the talks that I've been having with guys like [right-hander Jon] Gray and [right-

hander Chad] Bettis and Wolters, and those guys, it got the best out of me tonight. I was able to execute a lot of pitches

tonight. I would say anywhere from 90 percent up for execution. That's what's going to get it done." More >

BREWERS SENDOFF

The Brewers held a team meeting after the game to celebrate video coordinator Joe Crawford, who is leaving the club

after 13 seasons for a job as a high school athletic director at home in Ohio. Crawford and wife Kara have two daughters,

and Crawford said he was eager to spend more time with them after so many years living out of hotels.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

After winning a pair of challenges in Friday's series opener, Brewers manager Craig Counsell stayed hot in the second

inning Saturday night, successfully challenging after Adames was ruled safe at first base on a fielder's choice grounder.

After review, Adames was out, and the Brewers had an inning-ending double play.

Cristhian Adames is ruled safe at first, but after the Brewers challenge, the Brewers turn a double play in the 2nd

WHAT'S NEXT

Brewers: The Brewers' 2:10 p.m. CT season finale could also be the final game in a Milwaukee uniform for Braun, who

was nearly traded to the Dodgers in August and figures to draw more interest this winter on the heels of a full, healthy and

productive season. Tyler Cravy will get the start for Milwaukee on Sunday.

Rockies: Rookie right-hander German Marquez will make his third career start in the Rockies' season finale against the

Brewers at 1:10 p.m. MT on Sunday. Marquez was hammered for six runs over 4 1/3 innings in his last start and carries a

6.14 ERA into the game.

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Hoffman takes advantage of surprise start

Rookie right-hander strikes out seven Brewers over five strong innings

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | 1:40 AM ET

DENVER -- Jeff Hoffman wouldn't accept you're in the bullpen for an answer. Hoffman responded to an unexpected

starting chance with five innings and seven strikeouts in the Rockies' 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Brewers on Saturday night.

The right-handed Hoffman had struggled through his first five Major League starts after his promotion from Triple-A

Albuquerque. So manager Walt Weiss informed him he would finish the year in long relief.

But Hoffman believed he'd receive another chance. He thought it would come when the Rockies shut down Jorge De La

Rosa nearly two weeks ago. Instead, he had two appearances in long relief with solid results.

"As soon as they took me out of the rotation, I told them that I wanted De La Rosa's next start," Hoffman said. "It's just my

competitive nature. Walt actually told me no the first time.

"Yesterday they surprised me. But when they called me in, I knew something was going on. Walt told me, 'You're going to

get that start you wanted.'"

On Saturday, Hoffman demonstrated the talent that led the Blue Jays to select him ninth overall out of East Carolina in

2014, and the Rockies to insist on him being included when they traded shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto last July.

Hoffman demonstrated a fastball that topped out at 96.4 mph, with a curveball, a changeup and a slider he has added this

year. This pitch mix had the Rockies considering taking him eighth overall in '14 even though he had undergone Tommy

John surgery that May. Instead the Rockies took University of Evansville lefty and Denver native Kyle Freeland. Now the

Rockies have both as part of impressive high-end young pitching talent.

Hoffman gave up one run and was charged with the loss because of a fifth inning that was helped along by shortstop

Cristhian Adames' throwing error, putting runners at second and third with no outs, before Martin Maldonado's RBI single -

- the last of two hits off him. But the inning led to Hoffman's finest moment of his brief big league trial.

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After striking out Scooter Gennett and Brewers pitcher Wily Peralta and walking Jonathan Villar intentionally, Hoffman

struck out right fielder Domingo Santana. His final pitch was a 96.2-mph fastball.

Because he had not started since Sept. 14, Hoffman was limited to five innings and his 74 pitches were below the

prescribed limit. After throwing 104 innings last year at the Class A and Double-A levels while finishing his comeback,

Hoffman totaled 150 innings between Triple-A (6-9, 4.02 ERA) and the Majors (0-4, 4.88).

And his last impression -- screaming, pumping his fist -- makes all those numbers look better.

"The crowd there kind of got going for me after I got strike two," Hoffman said. "It did cross my mind: This is the last time

I'm going to be pitching this year, so I got to empty the tank right here. I executed that pitch."

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Gonzalez doesn't see himself at 1B in 2017

Rockies slugger is happy with outfield play this season

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | October 1st, 2016

DENVER -- Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez felt good enough in right field that he can put off the idea of transitioning to

first base.

Last year, in the season after left knee surgery, Gonzalez dealt with knee pain and felt his range was not the same as

earlier in his career. So, just in case, the Rockies had Gonzalez practice at first base during Spring Training.

However, Gonzalez never appeared at first base this season, in Spring Training or the regular season. Before early

August, when he suffered a left ankle sprain that still gives him trouble, Gonzalez said he felt his old range return.

Gonzalez went into Saturday night's game against the Brewers, the next-to-last of the season, third among National

League right fielders in defensive runs saved, at six, according to Fangraphs.

"Eventually, I might go to first base, but I don't think we're quite there yet," Gonzalez said. "We talked about it last year,

after I was coming back from a major surgery on my knee. I had my good days and my bad days and that was what

worried me -- I can't have that. I have to either go hard every day or don't go. But this year, I felt better than ever.

"I can still be a good outfielder. I'm not affecting the team playing right field. I played really well in the outfield, and I'm

proud of it."

Anderson has dead arm

Rookie left-hander Tyler Anderson was scratched from Saturday's start with what manager Walt Weiss originally

described as "soreness," and Anderson later clarified was dead arm. Fellow rookie Jeff Hoffman started in his place.

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"Every pitcher has had it at some point or another," Anderson said. "Usually you get through it, but I think that if the

situation were different and we were in the playoffs, I'd go out there. I think it was a good idea to give Hoffman another

start. Hopefully he can get a good one and feel good going into the off-season."

Anderson has thrown a career-high 145 innings between Double-A Hartford, Triple-A Albuquerque and Colorado -- 24 2/3

innings more than his previous high. He missed all of 2015 with a stress fracture in his left elbow and a shoulder during

his recovery.

"I haven't really had a normal off-season my whole career," Anderson said. "I think part of me was looking forward to that

and making sure I had a good off-season with some time to work and try get better and improve, and I got about to where

they wanted me to be with innings. Everything kind of came together."

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Beauchemin homers as Avs take BP at Coors

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | October 1st, 2016

DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche defenseman Francois Beauchemin could have gone either way -- baseball, where he

was a left-handed pitcher and first baseman growing up in Montreal, or hockey. An NHL career that includes a Stanley

Cup championship with the Anaheim Ducks in 2006-07 shows his choice was correct.

But Beauchemin always wanted his baseball thrill, and Coors Field was as good a place as any to realize it. Beauchemin

launched a couple of home runs to right field when he and several Avs teammates took batting practice before Saturday's

game against the Brewers.

"That was my goal coming in here, to hit home runs," said Beauchemin, who chose hockey at age 13. "I would've been

disappointed not to. I'm not going to lie.

"I've had some NHL moments, but this is pretty cool, to hit them out of Coors."

Beauchemin, who said he was talented in both sports and "maybe I would've had a shot" in baseball, was 14 when a labor

stoppage ended the 1994 season -- the year many in Montreal believe the Expos could've won the World Series.

"They were so close to winning … I remember all that," Beachemin said. "It was a heartbreaker."

Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog and teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie also participated in batting practice.

It was a relaxation for the Avs, who are in the midst of their preseason schedule. The team is no stranger to Coors. They

played on the diamond against the Detroit Red Wings last season in a Coors Light Stadium Series game.

Landeskog, who recently represented Sweden in the World Cup of Hockey (MacKinnon played for Team North America),

wondered if his home country could have an impact in baseball if the game ever took hold there.

"You'd think there should be some more baseball there," Landeskog said. "Since I've been over here for the last five

years, I've really started to enjoy all the sports that this side of the pond has to offer."

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The Avs and Rockies traded autographs and stories on Saturday. They are similar teams -- talented and trying to put it all

together.

"We're both young teams but getting better every year, and we always expect a little bit more every training camp,"

Beachemin said.

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Marquez makes third start in Rockies' 2016 finale

By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com | 2:14 AM ET

The Rockies and Brewers will wrap up their seasons on Sunday at Coors Field with a matchup of young arms, as

Colorado sends rookie German Marquez to the mound against Milwaukee's Tyler Cravy.

Marquez will be making his third start of the season after making three appearances out of the bullpen. He limited the

Cardinals to one run over five innings in his first start and then coughed up six runs over 4 1/3 innings to the Giants in his

most recent outing.

"All of this is an opportunity to get better," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "For young players, that's what some of

September is about. Guys get opportunities to make an impression, and he's already made an impression with his

composure, the way he operates out there."

The Brewers didn't reveal their Sunday starter until late Saturday night, tabbing Cravy for a "bullpen day" despite the fact

the right-hander pitched two innings of relief in Friday's series opener and starters Matt Garza and Jimmy Nelson are

available on full rest. As of Saturday afternoon, Garza said he was preparing to start unless he was informed otherwise.

"It was kind of the plan going in that this the way we were going to do it," Counsell said, though he would not explain why.

"This was the plan going into the road trip. We had to make sure we got through the first two games with enough pitching,

and we did."

Three things to know about this game

• Marquez was hurt in his last start by two home runs, but homers haven't been a major problem for him in the Minors.

During 166 2/3 innings between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque, he only gave up 14 homers. However, five

came in 31 innings in Albuquerque.

• Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado and Brewers first baseman Chris Carter are tied for the National League home

run lead with 41 . Arenado was tied with Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper for the league lead last year with 42.

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• Brewers infielder Jonathan Villar (19 home runs and 62 steals) is one homer away from being the seventh player to ever

collect 20 homers and 60 steals in a season. He is the third player in franchise history to record 60 stolen bases, joining

Tommy Harper (73 in 1969) and Scott Podsednik (70 in 2004).

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Adam Ottavino gives up 10th-inning home run as Rockies lose to Brewers

Cleanup hitter Chris Carter delivers for Brewers

By PATRICK SAUNDERS | psaunders@denverpost.com | October 2, 2016 at 2:33 am

The penultimate game of the Rockies’ season was symbolized by a frustrated Adam Ottavino tearing his ballcap off his

head.

The closer gave up a solo homer in the 10th inning to cleanup hitter Chris Carter as the Milwaukee Brewers won 4-3.

Carter smashed Ottavino’s two-out, 3-2 slider deep into the left-field bleachers for his 41st homer of the season. Carter is

tied with Colorado’s Nolan Arenado for the National League lead heading into Sunday’s final game.

“I think I threw the pitch where I wanted,” Ottavino said. “He hadn’t given any indication he was going to hit (the slider). So

I wasn’t too careful there, I just made sure I threw a strike. I regret it now.

“I felt good, but it’s just frustrating. One strike away — again. I just haven’t been very clutch with two outs the last month or

so.”

In a typical up-and-down game in LoDo, the Rockies tied the game 3-3 in the ninth off reliever Tyler Thornburn. Rookie

first baseman Jordan Patterson (3-for-5) hit a single and scored on catcher Tom Murphy’s pinch-hit double into the left-

field corner. The Brewers intentionally walked Charlie Blackmon to pitch to Daniel Descalso, who was poised for a walk-

off hit. Instead, Thornburg struck Descalso out to send the game into extra innings.

Lost in the late-inning theater was the performance of Colorado rookie starter Jeff Hoffman. The right-hander was ready,

willing and able to lock down his first win. Unfortunately for Hoffman, the Rockies got whipped early by Milwaukee starter

Wily Peralta. He blanked them for six innings, scattering five hits (all singles), striking out three and walking none. The

Rockies never figured out Peralta long enough to mount a rally.

This was the Hoffman that Rockies fans have been waiting for since he was acquired from Toronto last season as part of

the trade for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. In five innings, Hoffman allowed one run on just two hits. Mixing a fastball, slider

and curve, he kept the Brewers off-balance and struck out seven.

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“It was definitely a monkey off my back,” said Hoffman, who had been working a bit out of the bullpen. “I couldn’t really put

it all together there for a while, but I was lucky to have these teammates around me and they helped get me through it, so

I was very thankful.”

Hoffman emphatically pumped his fist at the end of the fifth inning, for good reason. He got out of a bases-loaded jam by

striking out Domingo Santana on a 97 mph fastball.

It was a messy inning that gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead, but the mess didn’t have much to do with Hoffman. He walked

Hernan Perez to open the inning but then got hurt by two quirky plays. Orlando Arcia hit a grounder to Cristhian Adames

at short, who made a mistake by trying to force out Perez at second instead of throwing to first. Adames’ mental error was

compounded when he threw the ball into right field, allowing Perez to scoot to third. Martin Maldonado hit a swinging bunt

down the third-base line to score Perez.

Undaunted, Hoffman struck out three of the next four hitters to squelch Milwaukee’s mini-rally.

“Everything was in the zone tonight. When nights like that happen, it’s fun to pitch,” Hoffman said.

Added manager Walt Weiss: ” ‘Hoffy’ did a good job. He got that big strikeout in the fifth with the bases loaded. It was nice

to see him get out of that jam. He was on a bit of a short leash tonight because he hadn’t had a start in a while. We

thought we’d give him about five innings, 75 pitches.”

Colorado’s offense finally woke up in the eighth against Brewers right-hander Corey Knebel, cutting the lead to 3-2. The

key hits were a leadoff triple by Tony Wolters and run-scoring singles by rookie Pat Valaika and Carlos Gonzalez. It was

Gonzalez’s 100th RBI of the season, the second time in his career he topped the century mark. He drove in 117 in 2010.

In what’s become a common theme this season, the Rockies’ bullpen was unable to shut down the opposition. Eddie

Butler, trying to establish his role for next season, pitched a strong two innings in relief before running into trouble in the

eighth. Jonathan Villar hit a one-out single and then stole second, his 63rd theft of the season, and Santana drew a walk.

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That was it for Butler.

In came Jordan Lyles to face Ryan Braun, who drilled a run-scoring double down the third-base line to score Villar to

make it 2-0. Perez’s subsequent RBI single made it 3-0.

Postgame Notes of Note

Rockies rookie outfielder David Dahl went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to six games. He has 16 multi-hit

games this season and is batting .356 (16-for-45) over his last 15 games.

Patterson made his second start of the season, going 3-for-5 to record his first multi-hit game.

Wolters triple was his second of the season (also: July 9 vs. Philadelphia). The rookie catcher is batting .321

since the all-star break.

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Rockies closer Adam Ottavino working to improve cutter vs. left-handers

Trevor Story still wearing brace on hand

By PATRICK SAUNDERS | psaunders@denverpost.com | October 2, 2016 at 2:30 am

Adam Ottavino is the Rockies’ closer of the present and likely the future.

Returning from Tommy John surgery, the right-hander has had a mostly successful comeback season. He had posted a

2.42 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and had seven saves in 33 appearances heading into Saturday night’s game against the

Milwaukee Brewers.

But Ottavino also has five blown saves, and left-handers are hitting .256 against him. That’s not terrible, but it pales in

comparison to the .127 average average right-handers have put up against him.

So Ottavino is doing something about it. He throws an excellent fastball and a wipe-out slider, but he needed another

pitch. So more and more, he’s using his cut fastball against lefties. The pitch remains a work in progress, but he’s

convinced it will make him a more complete closer.

“I had the pitch in college, but I put it away for a long time,” he said. “I picked it up at the start of last season and I thought

I was in a good place with it.”

But he got hurt in late April of 2015. When he returned from Tommy John surgery this year, Ottavino said the cutter “was

a pitch I just didn’t have a good feel for.”

Lately, he’s been throwing it more effectively.

“For me, it’s huge, because I have a hard time commanding my four-seamer up and in vs. lefties,” he said. “The

movement of my four-seamer kind of comes back toward the middle of the plate. … So I figured the cutter is a pitch that

would work for me because I can throw it in the middle and then it moves up and inside on lefties.”

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Ottavino said his problem against left-handers was an inability to keep them honest, which led to them cheating over the

plate and slapping balls on the outside for base hits.

“They were too comfortable against me, so the cutter is a pitch to combat that,” he said.

Manager Walt Weiss remains convinced Ottavino has the right mentality to be a closer.

“He’s a very smart guy and he has a great feel for making adjustments,” Weiss said. “That’s what makes me feel that he

can be a closer for a long time. He’s got the right mentality and he wants to be out there in crunch time.

“Plus, he’s got a major wipe-out pitch with that slider. It’s a great pitch. So he’s got all it takes to be a closer.”

Story update. Shortstop Trevor Story is still wearing a brace on his injured left hand, but he’s making steady progress in

his rehab.

“I have been doing a lot of mobility stuff and we have just started trying to get the strength back in my hand,” he said.

“Hopefully in early November or mid-November I can start swinging a bat again.”

Story was a top contender for National League rookie of the year until he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb

on July 30, ending his season. He finished with a .272 average, 27 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .909 OPS (on-base

percentage plus slugging percentage).

Looking Ahead…

Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson (8-16, 4.62 ERA) at Rockies RHP German Marquez (1-1, 6.14), 1:10 p.m. Sunday, ROOT,

850 AM

Marquez gets the honor of starting the final game of the Rockies’ season. The 21-year-old right-hander impressed the

Rockies’ brass with his poise and pitch command in his first two major-league starts. There might not be room for him in

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the starting rotation at the beginning of next season, but he’ll get a chance to state his case during spring training. He beat

the Cardinals on Sept. 21 at Coors Field, allowing one run on four hits over five innings. He wasn’t nearly as sharp in a

loss at San Francisco on Tuesday, getting rocked for six runs on 12 hits and failing to get out of the fifth inning. He left

way too many pitches over the heart of the plate. Nelson’s second half has been ugly. He is 2-9 with a 6.75 ERA over his

last 13 starts. He has served up 13 home runs during that stretch.

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Kiszla: If Rockies want Carlos Gonzalez to stay, show him $150 million in love

By MARK KISZLA | mkiszla@denverpost.com | October 1, 2016 at 2:46 pm

Baseball is played without a clock, but time’s running out on another season for Carlos Gonzalez. October means it’s

over. So I’ve dropped by CarGo’s locker to say goodbye. Thumbing through a sales brochure for luxury watches, he looks

up from his chair. There’s mischief in his eyes and the devil in his smile.

“You already miss me?” Gonzalez asks.

We do this dance every October. The Rockies miss the playoffs. Again. And everybody begins to wonder: Is this the end

of CarGo in Colorado? With his 31st birthday looming and only one more season remaining on his contract, will this be the

winter when the Rockies finally trade Gonzalez?

With a grin dancing the joropo in the corners of his mouth, CarGo anticipates the inevitable trade question the way he sits

on a fastball in a 3-1 count. I’m concerned this could be his last home series in a Rockies uniform. Gonzalez responds

with an idea that smacks me upside the head.

“I might be the next Todd Helton,” CarGo says.

I chuckle. Gonzalez cannot possibly be serious, can he?

For 17 seasons, Helton wore No. 17 for the Rockies, as rock solid as Mount Evans at first base. Rather than bolting

Denver in 12 months, would CarGo seriously consider a contract extension?

“Maybe I can be Todd Helton. That’s an option,” Gonzalez adds. “I might switch my number to 17.”

OK, don’t mess with us, CarGo. We need to know if you actually view the Rockies not only as a legitimate playoff

contender in 2017 but a franchise with enough talent to keep you interested in staying in Colorado until the day you retire.

“It’s about winning. And at this point in your career, you want to be on a winning team,” Gonzalez says.

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And he now believes Colorado can be a legit playoff contender, not only next season but for years to come.

“If you would have asked me early in the year, I would have told you I’m going to wait until I hit free agency and see

what’s out there,” Gonzalez says. “But this is a good team. It’s a different feeling. Now I see how guys react in tough

situations. We understand we can win. That’s huge for any team, when you trust and believe you can win. It’s not like,

‘Oh, we’re going to play the Dodgers, we’re going to get our butts kicked.’ Now we know we can win against anybody.”

Here’s the math problem Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich and franchise owner Dick Monfort must feed to the

computer. From now until Gonzalez reaches his 38th birthday, what’s the likelihood his bat and glove will be worth an

investment in the ballpark of $150 million? That’s a very expensive neighborhood, especially for an athlete on the back

side of his career.

If management believes in CarGo, signing him to an extension should be as high on Bridich’s honey-do list as fixing the

bullpen. On the flip side of the equation, should the Rockies decide that CarGo doesn’t project as a valuable hitter through

at least age 35, the time to trade him is now.

CarGo brings such joy to the job, I don’t want to see him leave. But I also admit that unless the Rockies view Gonzalez as

the long-term solution at first base, spending big dollars on a contract extension might not make sense.

Guess what? Gonzalez is willing to make the move.

“Every player that’s good offensively, as soon as you get to be 30 years old, they start moving you to the corner. That’s

natural. That’s normal. I feel like I’m still a good outfielder and can help the team defensively,” he says. “But if first base is

what’s best for the team, I will be good with that … In the long run, it’s probably going to extend my — or anybody’s —

career if you play first base. And it won’t be a crazy move.”

Gonzalez takes nothing for granted and takes offense at nothing in this crazy business. The secret of being CarGo is his

naturally sweet swing, but even cooler is his sweet outlook on life. Gonzalez believes: No matter how bad yesterday was,

the sun had better find you dancing today.

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“A lot of guys come up to me at the end of the season and say, ‘If I don’t get to see you wearing this Rockies uniform

again, it’s been great watching you.’ And I tell them: ‘Hey, man, you’ve been saying that same (stuff) for five years now,”

says Gonzalez, laughing so hard his eyes dance. “Maybe you’ll be telling me the same thing in 2020.”

Well, we can dream, can’t we? In October 2020, if CarGo and I are hanging around the batting cage before a playoff

game at Coors Field, our laughter will be so loud it might be illegal.

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Saunders: Reliable source guarantees Cubs will win 2016 World Series

The Wrigley Field marquee shows "Cubs Win"

By PATRICK SAUNDERS | psaunders@denverpost.com | October 1, 2016 at 10:56 pm

The Chicago Cubs will win the 2016 World Series, ending more than a century of waiting, wishing, hoping, teeth-gnashing

and tears.

There are multiple reasons it will happen. The Cubs entered Saturday’s play with 102 victories and an astonishing run

differential of plus-252. Kris Bryant is a lock to win the National League MVP. Joe Maddon is a manager with the Midas

touch. They have the deepest pitching staff in the majors with a 3.12 ERA.

Plus, the Cubbies are past due. They have not played in a World Series since 1945. They have not won a World Series

since 1908.

But that’s about to change and Northsiders know it. Standing-room tickets for a World Series game at Wrigley Field are

starting at $2,000 on Stubhub. Tickets to sit in the right-field bleachers for Game 3 are selling for $3,000 to $20,000.

Those are all good reasons why the Cubs will win it all, but that’s not why I’m convinced it’s going to happen.

This is: Dr. Duane Smith told me so.

“This is the year!” he said when I called him at his home in Durango. “I know I’ve said that before, but this year it really is.”

For more than 50 years, Smith, 79, was a professor of history and Southwest studies at Fort Lewis College (aka The

Harvard of the San Juans). He used to sign off on my term papers by drawing a Cubs cap on top of a smiley face. He

was, by the way, the best teacher I ever had. When he speaks, I listen.

“The Cubs are a very good team, the best I’ve seen,” said Smith, who grew up in Sandwich, Ill., a farming town about 60

miles outside of Chicago. “The have terrific offense, good pitching and a very good defense. “Kris Bryant is their key

player, their best player, plus my wife (Gay) thinks he’s handsome.”

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When he was a little boy, Smith thought he was the Cubs’ curse.

Forget the Billy Goat Curse from the 1945 World Series against the Tigers or the black cat’s strut that doomed the Cubs

down the stretch in 1969 or Steve Bartman’s infamous moment in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship

Series. None of that compares to Smith’s angst as a little boy.

Smith’s father, Stanley, was captured by the Japanese when they invaded the Philippines at the beginning of World War

II. Stanley spent the war in a POW camp. Back home in rural Illinois, his son was turning into a die-hard baseball fan.

“When I was a kid, I listened to the Cubs on the radio every night,” Smith recalled. “When my dad came home from World

War II, he took me to Chicago to see the Cubbies at Wrigley Field in 1946.”

The Cubs lost, of course. In fact, every time the Smiths ventured to the Friendly Confines, the Cubs lost.

“I think I must have gone to 20 games before they finally won a game,” Smith said. “Of course, they weren’t every good,

but I thought I was a jinx.”

Smith came to Colorado in the late 1950s and attended the University of Colorado. He started teaching history at Fort

Lewis in 1964. One of Smith’s most innovative courses was his history of baseball class that included playing a game with

1800s rules as part of the final exam.

All the while, he remained a Cubs fan. When WGN became available on cable TV, he was in heaven. Now he buys the

MLB package that allows him to get up close and personal with his team.

“This is our best chance,” he said. “This is the chance to end the heartache and my 70 years of frustration.”

Asked what he will do to celebrate the Cubs’ impending championship, Smith said: “I’m holding off on that. I’ll waiting to

cross that bridge. Just in case something happens.”

Spoken like a true Cubs fan.

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UP

1. Cubs: Theo Epstein, architect of rebirth in Chicago, just got a well-deserved five-year contract extension.

2. Red Sox: Led by David Ortiz, completed a worst-to-first turnaround for the second time in five seasons.

3. Rangers: Clinched No. 1 seed throughout postseason and that’s a big deal. Rangers are 53-26 at home.

DOWN

1. Twins: The 103 losses are most in franchise history since the 1949 Washington Senators went 50-104.

2. Braves: Terrible season ends Sunday with final game at “The Ted,” where they hosted the NLDS 11 times and NLCS

four times.

3. A’s: Pitching woes? It’s been more than five weeks since A’s got a victory from a starting pitcher who began season in

the rotation.

Spotlight on Red Sox DH David Ortiz

What’s up: There is plenty of pomp and circumstance this weekend at Fenway Park as the Boston faithful say goodbye to

one of their most beloved players. Of course, it’s only a regular-season so-long. The postseason is almost upon us and

that’s when Ortiz plays magic baseball. At 40 and in his 20th major-league season, he’s entering the eighth postseason of

his career.

Background: He has played his final season on painful feet that made it difficult to run or field at first base when he was

asked to fill that role from time to time. But, as always, he has produced at the plate. He’s in the MVP conversation,

batting .316, swatting 38 home runs, slugging 49 doubles and posting a 1.027 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging

percentage) — the third-highest of his career. Now comes the playoffs, where he has hit some of the most memorable

home runs in baseball history. There were no bigger moments, of course, than when Ortiz stepped to the plate against

New York Yankees reliever Paul Quantrill in the 12th inning of Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship

Series. He hit it a sinker into the visitors’ bullpen at Fenway Park for the most important home run in Red Sox history.

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Saunders’ take: “Big Papi” is a bigger-than-life player. He’s a superstar because he exceeds grand expectations. When

Ortiz hit his 36th homer last week, he broke Dave Kingman’s 30-year-old record for the most home runs by a hitter in his

final season. In three World Series for Boston, all victorious, Ortiz batted .455. He hit .370 in the 2007 postseason, one

that ended with a four-game sweep over the Rockies in the World Series. Yet, for all of that, Ortiz is not a lock for the Hall

of Fame, in large part because it was reported that he was on a list of players who had tested positive for performance

enhancers during the 2003 season. That might seem like ancient history to some, but some baseball writers who rejected

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens for suspected PED use are going to follow a hard line against Ortiz. In an article this

year on the Players’ Tribune website, he emphatically denied knowingly taking anything illegal and insisted he was not a

cheater. True or not, the steroid era hangs over “Big Papi,” regardless of his Red Sox heroics.

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MLB Draft 2017: Colorado Rockies will pick 11th overall

The Rockies will not have a protected first round pick.

By Ryan Schoppe - Oct 2, 2016, 9:00a / Purple Row

The Colorado Rockies will pick 11th overall in the first round of June 2017’s MLB Draft. Though the Rockies lost last night

to keep the possibility of drafting 10th overall alive, the Los Angeles Angels lost later in the night to lock the Rockies into

the 11th worst record in MLB this year (or 19th best, if you prefer).

It will be the lowest the Rockies have picked in the first round since the 2011 draft, when the Rockies chose 20th overall

after finishing the season 83-79. Last year, they picked fourth overall in the first round and selected Riley Pint, who

pitched fairly well while lighting up the radar gun for the Grand Junction Rockies this past summer.

Only the top 10 picks of the draft are protected from being forfeited if a team signs a free agent that has declined a team’s

qualifying offer, so the Rockies will lose their first round pick if they choose to sign such a player this offseason. That

would be the only way the Rockies first-round pick would be altered, as they won’t be able to move up in the draft

because none of the ten teams ahead of them can forfeit that pick.

The Rockies have selected 11th overall once before in the history of their franchise. In 2009, the Rockies chose Tyler

Matzek out of high school 11th overall. One other connection the Rockies have to the 11th pick is that the Rockies current

manager, Walt Weiss, was drafted by the Athletics 11th overall in 1985.

With the collective bargaining agreement being renegotiated this offseason, there may be some changes to the slotting

system in the draft. However, if the system stays the same, the slot value would be slightly higher than this year’s

$3,286,700, which is what the Seattle Mariners had to work with when they had the 11th pick in the 2016 draft. The slot

value for the 11th pick in the 2015 draft was $3,141,600.

The two most successful 11th overall picks are both still active players. The Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer was

originally drafted by the Diamondbacks with the 11th pick of the 2006 draft. The Pittsburgh Pirates picked Andrew

McCutchen 11th overall in 2005.

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Colorado Rockies Injury News: Parra, Anderson Done for 2016

By Kevin Henry – October 1, 2016 / Rox Pile

As the Colorado Rockies conclude their final homestand of 2016, two more members of the Rockies have already had

their seasons come to a close because of injuries.

Tyler Anderson, slated to start Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, was taken out of the rotation because of

what the Rockies are calling “general arm soreness.” The soreness ends Anderson’s season with a 5-6 record and 3.54

ERA.

Because of Anderson’s past issues with injuries, Colorado manager Walt Weiss and Rockies management thought it best

to be cautious.

“It’s taken a little longer for him to recover from his last start,” Weiss told reporters. “With what he went through last year,

we don’t see any reason to push the envelope there. So we’re going to scratch him.”

Anderson coming out of the rotation means another start for fellow rookie Jeff Hoffman, who was relegated to the bullpen

earlier this month. He’ll start on Saturday against the Brewers with an 0-4 mark and 6.04 ERA in five starts this season.

Hoffman has come out of the bullpen twice this season, logging a 2.25 ERA.

His start on Saturday is expected to not be a long one, according to Weiss.

“He may be a tad bit deconditioned but we’ve got coverage out there (in the bullpen),” Weiss said. “So we’re probably

looking at the five-inning, 75-pitch range, something like that. We have plenty of reinforcements.”

Also having his season cut short is Gerardo Parra, who was seen wearing a walking boot on Friday. He injured his left

ankle in a collision with Trevor Story on June 15 and struggled to overcome the injury throughout the remainder of the

season.

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He was placed on the disabled list on June 17 and finally returned on August 7. When he returned, David Dahl had

established himself in the outfield for the Rockies so Parra was relegated to playing first base. He hit just .232 with two

homers and 12 RBI after coming back.

Parra received a platelet-rich plasma injection in the ankle on Friday, signaling the end to his 2016 campaign.

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Matt Holliday and Colorado Rockies In Line for 2017 Reunion?

By Kevin Henry – October 1, 2016 / Rox Pile

On Friday night, former Colorado Rockies slugger Matt Holliday hit a home run in what is expected to be his last at-bat for

the St. Louis Cardinals.

It was a magical moment and one that allowed Cardinals fans to show their appreciation for Holliday, who has spent

seven and a half seasons with the club. It was also his 20th homer of the season, marking the 10th time in the last 11

seasons that Holliday has hit 20 or more round-trippers.

It has been reported that the Cardinals will not pick up Holliday’s $17 million option for the 2017 season. That means that

the 36-year-old right-handed hitter could well be looking for a new team as the offseason rolls around.

Could that new team be the Rockies?

A Holliday return to the place where he began his Major League career is not out of the realm of possibilities. The Mile

High City is a place where Holliday and the Rockies shared some incredible moments, including 2007’s run to the World

Series.

Holliday hit .294 in the World Series that season, including swatting a home run in Game 3. It capped a 36-homer, 137-

RBI season for Holliday, his best as a member of the Rockies. It was also a part of three All-Star campaigns he enjoyed in

Colorado.

In five Colorado seasons, Holliday belted 156 homers and logged 615 RBI. He was a part of the Rockies clubhouse

during some of the team’s best seasons and was loved by the Denver fan base.

With the Rockies needing a first baseman in 2017 and Holliday needing a home, does it make sense for a reunion? The

pieces certainly fit together. Holliday showed no sign of slowing down this season and a right-handed power hitter is

something the Rockies desperately craved at times this season.

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Certainly there are other options at first base. It’s expected that the Rockies will pursue Mark Reynolds in the offseason

after his solid season. It’s also possible that Carlos Gonzalez could be persuaded to move to first base to help the

Rockies get stronger at the position and eliminate some of the logjam of talent in the outfield.

Holliday will turn 37 in the offseason. Certainly the clock is ticking on his career and the Rockies would have to spend a

good chunk of money for a one-year contract. However, bringing Holliday back to Denver as a part of a potential playoff

run 10 years after the Rockies made the World Series with him in the lineup is certainly an intriguing thought.

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Rockies fall in extra innings in penultimate game of 2016

By Casey Light - October 2, 2016

Just like Jon Gray did one year ago, Rockies rookie Jeff Hoffman will have to wait until next year to earn his first major

league win. The 23-year-old right hander pitched five innings in Colorado’s penultimate game of 2016, allowing just one

run on two hits and striking out seven, but the Rockies offense provided no help until Hoffman was long removed from the

game.

Colorado battled back from a 3-0 deficit, scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth and another in the bottom of the

ninth to send the game to extra innings before Adam Ottavino suffered his third loss of the season. A Chris Carter solo

home run in the tenth inning proved to be the difference in the game.

Colorado concludes the 2016 campaign on Sunday afternoon. German Marquez, who was solid two starts ago but

struggled in his last outing, will get the final call for Walt Weiss.

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Rockies rally falls short, Brewers win 4-3 despite strong Hoffman outing

By Drew Creasman – October 1, 2016 / BSN Denver

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies stages an exciting late comeback and got the best starting performance yet from

young Jeff Hoffman but still came out on the losing end, 4-3, to the Milwaukee Brewers in ten innings.

In the top of the first, Jordan Patterson showed off his range with a spectacular diving play. This was his first start at first

base in MLB.

Jeff Hoffman avoided any real trouble until the fifth inning. And even then, he didn’t pitch particularly poorly. He did issue

the ever-omen leadoff walk to Hernan Perez but induced what looked for a moment like a double-play groundball from

Orlando Arcia. But Cristhian Adames made a bad throw to second base on the play resulting in an error that allowed the

runner to move to third.

Perez came around to score on a swinging bunt from Matin Maldonado that dribbled out into no-man’s-land between the

catcher, pitcher, and third baseman. Hoffman bounced back to strike out Scooter Gennett and his counterpart, Wily

Peralta, and then Domingo Santana with the high heat at 97 mph to end the rally.

Hoffman finished on that flurry of strikeouts. His final line: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K. He threw 76 pitches, 49 for strikes.

Eddie Butler replaced Hoffman and pitched pretty well through two and a third innings of work, though he did give up one

run that actually came in on a hit off Jordan Lyles in the eighth. Lyles allowed another run to come in on a single up the

middle from Perez before shutting down the frame.

Tony Wolters lead off the bottom of the inning with a triple into the right-center field gap and Pat Vailaika drove him in with

an RBI single through the hole between third and short. After Charlie Blackmon Lined out, Daniel Descalso hit into what

looked like a sure double-play but Gennet booted the ball at second and everyone was safe. Nolan Arenado flew out to

right but Carlos Gonzalez delivered a two-out, opposite-field RBI single to bring the Rockies within one.

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It was the 100th RBI of the season for CarGo, only the second time in his often injury-riddled career that he has reached

that mark.

The rally was finished off in the bottom of the ninth when Jordan Patterson collected his third hit of the game and came in

to score on a pinch-hit RBI double from Tom Murphy.

But the Rockies couldn’t drive in Murphy and the Brewers took the lead back in the top of the tenth on a monstrous home

run to left, Chris Carter’s 41st of the season, tying Arenado for the NL lead.

And the Rockies rally fell just short. Final: 4-3, Milwaukee.

What’s Next

The final game of the 2016 regular season takes place tomorrow night at Coors Field. It’s your last chance (if you live in or

near Denver) to take in baseball before it leaves until the spring. German Marquez will get just his third MLB start, giving

Rockies fans one more look at the future before sending them on their way. The Padres starter is till yet to be determined.

First pitch is at 1:10 MST.

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Could we see a Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies reunion?

By Andrew Dill - October 1, 2016 / BSN Denver

According to multiple sources, the St. Louis Cardinals will decline Matt Holliday‘s 2017 option worth roughly $17 million,

making him a free agent after this season. The Colorado Rockies will be in the market for a first baseman once the

offseason rolls around — so … why not sign Holliday and put him there?

Well, it’s not that easy.

The 36-year-old endured an injury-riddled season in 2016, not to mention in 2015 as well, scratching and clawing his way

to the finish line. Though the season is still not over, his Cardinals are still vying for that second Wild Card spot in a fight to

the finish with the San Francisco Giants. However, if St. Louis were to make it, Holliday will be absent from the lineup due

to a broken thumb.

The Cardinals activated the seven-time All-Star prior to Friday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving him one

last final at-bat in a Cardinals uniform in front of the home crowd. In the bottom half of the seventh inning with the

Cardinals up 5-0, Holliday did the unthinkable, hitting a solo home run on an 0-2 pitch with, mind you, a broken thumb.

Holliday is one tough cookie.

For those of you wondering, Holliday has played some first base this season for the Cards, appearing in just ten games.

There are a few questions to ask, whether Holliday would accept coming back to Colorado, and could he be productive

defensively at first. Questions we really can’t answer at this time.

Did he touch home plate?

The most vivid memory I recall of Matt Holliday came in the 2007 National League Wild Card tie-breaker against the San

Diego Padres. Tied at 8-8 in the bottom half of the 13th inning, a game that seemed like it would never end, Jamey Carroll

sent a Trevor Hoffman offering into right-field with Matt Holliday attempting to tag up from third with no outs. San Diego’s

outfield was playing in as Brian Giles closed in on the ball, firing it as soon as he got it. In the blink of an eye, Matt Holliday

laid behind home plate, busted chin and all — SAFE. Or so umpire Tim McClelland said.

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The Rockies traded Holliday back in 2008, shipping him to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for closer Huston Street,

left-handed pitcher Greg Smith, and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. The trade worked out well in Colorado’s favor, being that

Holliday only spent one season with the A’s. Oh, and CarGo is pretty good.

Holliday appeared in 102 games this season, slashing at a line of .244/.320/.459 with 20 doubles, 20 home runs, and 61

RBI. Just by looking at his slash line, he can still provide a bat that can produce at a high-level. The power is still there,

posting his highest slugging percentage since his 2013 campaign. The concern is his batting average — though an injury-

plagued season will hamper almost anyone. Holliday’s WAR finished at 0.2 — worst in his entire career.

At this stage in his career, landing with an American League team is a safe bet — Boston Red Sox anyone? With the

looming departure of future Hall-of-Famer David Ortiz, Boston may be in the market for a player, like Holliday, to fill the

void.

Colorado’s current first baseman, Mark Reynolds, is set to become a free agent this offseason. Reynolds slashed at a line

of .282/.356/.450 with 24 doubles, 14 home runs, and 53 RBI. Reynolds was a stable part in the Rockies lineup, providing

both the leather and the bat. Judging by the eye-ball test, I’m convinced he did enough to earn another contract with

Colorado but that’s up for management to decide.

Being that Colorado doesn’t have a bonafide first baseman on the roster outside of Reynolds, Colorado will be in the hunt

for a first baseman — just a matter of when.

I’d personally love to see Matt Holliday back in a Rockies uniform — just at the right price. Holliday will be able to put up

big numbers at Coors, even at 37-years-old. The question is and will remain, will Holliday be able to stay healthy and does

this really fit into the Rockies’ plans?

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Carter's homer in 10th gives Brewers 4-3 win over Rockies

Associated Press 11:12PM / ESPN.com

DENVER -- Chris Carter's homer broke one tie to forge another, and set up a showdown on the last day of the season for

the NL home run crown.

Carter hit a tiebreaking home run with two outs in the top of the 10th inning, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3

victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

Carter's 41st homer of the season came on a 3-2 pitch against Adam Ottavino (1-3) and salvaged a victory after the

Milwaukee bullpen gave up a three-run lead in the eighth and ninth.

He also tied Colorado's Nolan Arenado for the NL lead in long balls. Arenado hit his 41st Friday night but went 0 for 5 in

Saturday's loss.

The two will decide Sunday who wins the home run crown or if it ends in a tie like last year when Arenado and Bryce

Harper finished with 42 each.

"I'm not going to change anything," Carter said. "I'm just going to keep everything the same thing. Trying to get a pitch up

in the zone and get the barrel to it. It's definitely crazy we're playing against each other."

His 41st home run turned the game around after the Rockies tied it. He worked Ottavino to a full count before hitting a

slider 404 feet to left.

"I threw it where I wanted. He hadn't given me any indication he was going to hit it, so I wasn't too careful there, trying to

throw a strike," Ottavino said. "I regret it now, but in the moment I was pretty comfortable throwing it."

Colorado's rally spoiled a strong outing for the Brewers' Wily Peralta, who tossed six scoreless innings to close out his

season. Peralta recorded his fourth straight quality start, and ninth in his last 10 outings. He appeared headed for a win

after the Brewers built a 3-0 lead.

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"That was a heck of an effort from Wily," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He put up six scoreless innings here

against a good lineup; it's a great finish for Wily."

Hernan Perez made it 1-0 in the fifth when he scored on Martin Maldonado's bunt single off Rockies starter Jeff Hoffman.

Ryan Braun, who finished with two hits, had an RBI double in the seventh and scored on Perez's single.

The Rockies scored twice in the eighth off Corey Knebel but left two runners on. They tied it against Tyler Thornburg (7-5)

in the ninth on pinch-hitter Tom Murphy's RBI double.

The Rockies got the tying run to second with one out in the bottom of the 10th but Jacob Barnes struck out David Dahl

and got Jordan Patterson to line out to right to pick up his first save.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: OF Gerardo Parra had a platelet-rich plasma injection into his left ankle on Friday and is done for the season.

CENTURY MARK

Carlos Gonzalez had a run-scoring single in the eighth to give him 100 RBI on the season. It is just the second time he

has reached the mark. He had 117 in 2010 and 97 last year when he hit 40 home runs.

It took a while for him to reach the mark. He hadn't driven in a run since Sept. 21 despite playing nearly every day.

"It's beautiful, man. I think it's been a while since I had that 99," Gonzalez said. "I always joke about it with the guys that

when I'm trying to reach 99, it always gives me a hard time to reach the next one. If it's nine RBI and you want to get to

10, you just hit really hard. I'm really happy."

GREAT START

Patterson didn't get the key hit in the 10th but he finished with three singles. It was his first start at first base and his

second start overall.

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"It's good to see Jordan get a start, get some at-bats," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He had a nice play over there,

so it went well."

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Tyler Cravy (0-1, 2.39) will start Sunday in what Counsell called a "bullpen day."

Rockies: Rookie RHP German Marquez (1-1, 6.14) will make his third start of the season and sixth appearance.