Brewers 7, Rockies 6(14)
When it counted, no one could be counted on in the Colorado Rockies' bullpen.
Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street and Felipe Paulino all blew late leads, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Rockies 7-6 on Friday night when Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 14th inning.
''Prince put an exclamation point on the ball that he hit there in the 14th,'' Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. ''I don't know if you can hit a ball much harder than that. That one was far and high.''
Colorado took leads of 2-1, 4-2, 5-4 and 6-5, but managed to let them all slip away with the Brewers tying them each time but never going ahead until Fielder's 450-foot blast.
The Rockies retreated quickly to the clubhouse while Fielder was mobbed at home plate as teammates came streaming out of the dugout almost as soon as he made contact.
''Every time we made a bad pitch and they weren't singles - they were balls hit out of the ballpark,'' Tracy said. ''You've got to go in there, wash it off, come back tomorrow and start all over.''
Yuniesky Betancourt homered in the 13th to tie it after Seth Smith had put Colorado ahead 5-4 on a two-out triple. Dexter Fowler drove in the go-ahead run with a bloop single off Mike McClendon (1-0) in the top of the 14th before Fielder and the Brewers answered once again.
The Rockies didn't have left fielder Carlos Gonzalez (groin) and first baseman Todd Helton (back) in the starting lineup, but the replacements hardly missed a beat.
Jason Giambi homered one night after hitting three and driving in seven runs against the Phillies, and Ty Wigginton scored twice. Colorado starter Jason Hammel added the first homer of his career, a two-run shot, but the Rockies' bullpen couldn't hold multiple leads.
Giambi left the game after Troy Tulowitzki was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the eighth. Already without Gonzalez, who made a pinch-hit appearance, or Helton, the Rockies didn't have anywhere else to turn.
''We removed Jason from the game just because it was time for him. From that point, no Giambi, no Helton, no Tulowitzki, no Gonzalez and still had a chance to win three different times,'' Tracy said. ''They kept answering.''
Tulowitzki wasn't happy with the ejection by Rob Drake.
''I was surprised that I got thrown out,'' he said. ''I was walking back. Usually it's when you turn around and come back at them, that's when they throw you. It happens.''
Neither team got a runner in scoring position in the ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th innings, but both sides benefited from strong defensive plays in the 11th.
Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks ranged far to his right to snag a grounder by Jose Lopez and throw him out at first. In the bottom of the inning, Fowler, in center, was credited with a diving catch of a liner, though replays showed the ball hit the grass first.
Hammel's homer gave Colorado its first lead, 2-1, just the start of the advantages Colorado would be unable to hold.
''It's a tough game to lose,'' Hammel said. ''But we'll be back tomorrow.''
NOTES: Hammel's homer was the 34th by a Rockies pitcher in club history and first since Jason Jennings homered against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 8, 2004. ... Giambi is 7 of 21 with five homers in his career against Brewers starter Zack Greinke. ... The Rockies fell to 0-4 in extra-inning games. ... Colorado tied a season high with 16 hits. ... The Rockies recalled RHP Matt Daley from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take the spot of LHP Franklin Morales. Morales was traded to Boston for a player to be named or cash after Thursday's win over Philadelphia. Daley pitched one scoreless inning.