Written by

The Sports Network

The Colorado Rockies arrive in Pittsburgh to face the Pirates, but will the weather permit them to take the diamond on Monday?

MILWAUKEE — So this is why the Rockies traded pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom to the Orioles for Jeremy Guthrie.

Guthrie was at his best Sunday at Miller Park in the Rockies’ 4-1 victory over the Brewers. With his sinker diving at the plate, he allowed one run and three hits in seven innings.

“I had more action with my two-seam fastball and I was able to use it more effectively and get some quick outs,” Guthrie said.

He has pitched seven innings in three of his four starts this year, but Sunday was by far his best performance.

Guthrie (2-1) pulled off a high-wire act in the sixth inning and came away unscathed. Aramis Ramirez hit a two-out double to right and Corey Hart walked. Brewers first baseman Mat Gamel stepped up and crushed a ball to deep left-center, but Tyler Colvin hauled it in at the base of the wall.

Colvin at No. 2. Colvin made a start in center and hit in the No. 2 slot, replacing Dexter Fowler, who was given a rest day.

Colvin has limited experience — and has enjoyed limited success — batting second in the order. But manager Jim Tracy said Colvin retooled his swing during the winter and can handle the role.

“He handles the bat extremely well,” Tracy said. “Tyler Colvin is a guy that you can put runners in motion and he’s going to put a good swing on and put the ball in play. We have played hit-and-run with him already during the regular season. I tested him during spring training to see if he was going to be able to do that.”

Colvin entered Sunday’s game with 59 career at-bats in the No. 2 hole and was hitting only .136 with a .164 on-base percentage. He went 1-for-5.

More on Moyer.  TBS baseball analyst John Smoltz had this to say Sunday about 49-year-old Rockies pitcher Jamie Moyer: “He’s doing it in rarified air and that to me is more impressive than his age. To do it in Colorado is something. I don’t think he came back to do it just this year. … I wouldn’t be surprised if he came back again next year.”

Footnotes. Sunday’s game was Tracy’s 800th win as a major-league manager. With the Rockies, he is 238-217. … Rafael Betancourt is 5-for-5 in save opportunities. … Jason Giambi had his first RBI of the season, driving in Colvin in the first inning.

Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post

MILWAUKEE — Back in December, five days before Christmas, the Rockies signed free-agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $31.5 million deal.

That’s a big chunk of money, and eyebrows raised around major league front offices, but general manager Dan O’Dowd was radiant.

“For us, quite honestly, we thought it was a perfect fit,” O’Dowd said. “He plays for a bigger purpose, and he gets ‘team.’ We’re going to need that here, and it’s a natural to him. He’s going to make our team better, and he’s going to make our organization better.”

The former Twins star has not disappointed.

In the eighth inning Sunday, Cuddyer rocketed a two-run double to the gap in left-center field off reliever Francisco Rodriguez, driving in Troy Tulowitzki and Jason Giambi and lifting Colorado to a 4-1 victory over the Brewers.

Cuddyer’s double — and a gutsy eighth-inning stop by reliever Matt Belisle — put starter Jeremy Guthrie in the winner’s circle. In Guthrie’s best outing as a Rockie, the right-hander allowed just onerun and three hits over seven innings.

“We got the Michael Cuddyer I was expecting — a great player,” veteran Jason Giambi said. “I watched him for years when he was with Minnesota. I think he was one of those hidden jewels, and I’m surprised more teams didn’t go hard after him. He’s a great baseball player.”

Friday night, hobbled by a bruised big toe, Cuddyer came off the bench in the ninth and delivered a pinch-hit, game-winning single in Colorado’s 4-3 victory.

Cuddyer doesn’t run away from big moments. He wraps his arms around them.

“Who doesn’t like to come in with a man in scoring position in a 1-1 game?” Cuddyer said after Sunday’s game. “I mean, the worst that can happen is you fail. It happens a lot in baseball, so you have to relish those opportunities.”

Cuddyer is hitting .345 and leads the Rockies with 11 RBIs. He’s hitting .500 (8-for-16) with runners in scoring position.

Taking a series from the Brewers at Miller Park was huge for the Rockies, especially considering the Brewers were a major league best 54-27 on their home field last season. And, as Cuddyer noted, the Rockies’ two wins came off two premier relievers. His hit Friday night came off closer John Axford. Sunday’s hit came off Rodriguez, who is essentially closer 1A.

“To be able to get two wins off of pitchers of that caliber, it’s huge for our confidence,” Cuddyer said.

Cuddyer’s ability to deliver when it matters, combined by the pitching performances of Guthrie and Belisle, has manager Jim Tracy believing the Rockies are in a good place as they head to Pittsburgh for the second leg of their road trip.

“I don’t know how many times last year we were in a situation like this with an opportunity to win a series and we weren’t able to do it,” Tracy said. “In games like today, you need a big at-bat and you need to make big pitches.”

Notable

Tyler Colvin made a start in center and hit in the No. 2 slot Sunday, replacing Dexter Fowler, who was given a rest day. Colvin has limited experience — and has enjoyed limited success — batting second in the order. But manager Jim Tracy said Colvin retooled his swing during the winter and can handle the role. … TBS baseball analyst John Smoltz had this to say Sunday about 49-year-old Rockies pitcher Jamie Moyer: “He’s doing it in rarified air and that to me is more impressive than his age. To do it in Colorado is something. I don’t think he came back to do it just this year. … I wouldn’t be surprised if he came back again next year.” … Sunday’s game was Tracy’s 800th win as a major league manager. With the Rockies, he is 238-217. … Rafael Betancourt is 5-for-5 in save opportunities this season. … Jason Giambi had his first RBI of the season, driving in Colvin in the first inning.

Rockies 4, Brewers 1 Colorado ab r h bi Milw. ab r h bi

Scutaro 2b 5 0 2 0 RWeks 2b 3 0 1 0

Colvin cf-1b 5 1 1 0 Morgan cf 3 0 0 0

CGnzlz lf 5 0 1 1 CGomz ph-cf 1 0 1 0

Tlwtzk ss 5 1 2 0 Braun lf 2 1 0 0

Giambi 1b 3 1 1 1 ArRmr 3b 4 0 1 0

Brothrs p 0 0 0 0 Hart rf 3 0 0 0

Belisle p 0 0 0 0 Gamel 1b 4 0 1 1

RBtncr p 0 0 0 0 AlGnzlz ss 4 0 0 0

Cuddyr rf 4 0 1 2 Lucroy c 4 0 0 0

RHrndz c 4 0 1 0 Gallard p 2 0 0 0

JHerrr 3b 4 0 1 0 Ishikaw ph 1 0 0 0

Guthrie p 1 0 0 0 FrRdrg p 0 0 0 0

Fowler cf 1 1 1 0 WPerlt p 0 0 0 0

Totals 37 4 11 4 Totals 31 1 4 1

Colorado 100 000 021 — 4

Milwaukee 000 100 000 — 1

E — R.Weeks (3). DP — Milwaukee 1. LOB — Colorado 9, Milwaukee 7. 2B — Cuddyer (8), R.Weeks (4), Ar.Ramirez (3). SB — Braun (3). S — Guthrie.

Colorado IP H R ER BB SO

Guthrie W,2-1 7 3 1 1 3 2

Brothers 0 1 0 0 1 0

Belisle H,1 1 0 0 0 0 1

R.Betancourt S,5-5 1 0 0 0 0 0

Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO

Gallardo 7 6 1 1 1 8

Fr.Rodriguez L,0-2 1 2 2 2 1 0

W.Peralta 1 3 1 1 0 1

Brothers pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. T–3:03. A–42,611 (41,900).