Rockies drop Brewers 4-1

WP: Chad Bettis (14-8); LP: Brent Suter (2-2); Save: Adam Ottavino (7); HR: Mil, Chris Carter (40); Col, Nolan Arenado (41)

The Colorado Rockies rode four early runs to a 4-1 win over the Brewers at Coors Field tonight. Rockies starter Chad Bettis had traffic on the bases for most of the night but won for the fourteenth time.

The Brewers had their chances against Bettis, but their only run came on Chris Carter’s 40th homer of the season leading off the top of the fourth. They left their other nine baserunners stranded.

Bettis ended up allowing eight hits in his 6.2 innings, walking three and striking out five. All three walks were to Martin Maldonado, with two of those intentional. The Brewers left one in the first, two in the second, two in the fourth, the bases loaded in the fifth, and a runner at third in the sixth. Their last stranded runner came in the eighth.

Colorado opened up with a two run homer from Nolan Arenado (his 41st) in the bottom of the first against Brent Suter, added a run in the second on a two out single from Charlie Blackmon, and scored their fourth on a Nick Hundley single in the third.

Suter was the victim of some high pitches and shaky fielding, and ended up going five gritty innings, allowing ten hits and the four runs. He walked none and struck out three, all in his last two innings.

Martin Maldonado threw out a would-be base stealer (Blackmon) in the second and picked off Nick Hundley at second to end the third, and Suter picked off Blackmon to end the fourth.

Tyler Cravey worked the sixth and seventh, with no baserunners and two strikeouts. Rob Scahill had a perfect eighth with a kick save on a grounder right up the middle, directly to Orlando Arcia for a 1-6-3 put-out. Brewer pitchers retired 14 of the last 15 they faced, and the one hit was picked off of first.

The Brewers trailed 4-1 into the top of the ninth and faced Rockies closer Adam Ottavino in the ninth, and were retired in order.

Arenado made two great plays at third on shots down the line that probably saved the Rockies two runs. I know that his hitting stats are Coors Field inflated, but 131 RBI, 41 homers, and excellent defense get him my non-existent vote for MVP.

The Brewers (71-89) send Wily Peralta out tomorrow night to face the Rockies (75-85). Peralta is 7-11 with a 5.10 ERA, and he will face Jeff Holten (0-4, 5.47).