Grand Exit: Tapia's pinch hit slam thwarts Brewers in final home series

DENVER – The last time the Milwaukee Brewers suited up for a game at Coors Field, they popped bottles in celebration of a three-game sweep after Game Three of the National League Division Series last October.

Nearly twelve months later, looking to do the same with the fate of the NL Central hanging in the balance, the Rockies delivered a dish best served cold: revenge.

Entering only one game behind St. Louis for the division lead, Milwaukee’s aim to sweep was dashed during a seven-run barrage from Colorado in the sixth inning just when it seemed an old school game of small ball was upon us in the antepenultimate game of the 2019 season.

Starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela solid through six innings of work, scattering seven hits and two walks against a Brewers team looking put away the game early for their eighth-straight victory in favor of some scoreboard watching.

A double play that was nearly a triple play held the opponents to one run in the first and the early 1-0 lead looked to be enough for Milwaukee as starting pitcher Zach Davies had his best stuff working through five frames.

His only hiccup came in the third inning with a ground-rule double from Sam Hilliard, followed by a run-scoring single courtesy of Tony Wolters.

At only 68 pitches for Davies and with a scant 2-1 lead, manager Craig Counsell opted for his bullpen in the sixth and quickly regretted it as Colorado struck for seven runs against three of the Milwaukee’s best: Ray Black, Alex Claudio and Jay Jackson.

Charlie Blackmon launched his 32nd homer of the season to begin the frame before Nolan Arenado singled and Trevor Story walked. Daniel Murphy kept the rally alive with an RBI single to tie the game and Wolters gave Colorado the lead with a bases loaded walk.

From here, the game of chess ended before it got a chance to get interesting.

With Senzatela at 102 pitches and his spot in the order due up, Bud Black countered with Josh Fuentes as his pinch hitter. Naturally, Counsell responded with right-handed pitcher Jackson. The tête-à-tête reached its climax when Raimel Tapia stepped out to take the place of Fuentes to give the Rockies a seven-run inning.

The pinch hit grand slam for Tapia was the second of his career, making him the first player in franchise history with multiple occurrences. His four pinch hit home runs this year is the most since Pat Valaika notched four in 2017 and is only eclipsed by Mark Sweeney, who recorded five in 2004.

Three more runs followed in the seventh, two via Ryan McMahon’s 24th blast of the season and one from Yonder Alonso’s pinch hit single that scored Hilliard on his second double of the game.

Milwaukee tried to claw their way back in the eighth against Joe Harvey with a pair of singles and trio of walks, scoring two to make it 11-4. With five outs remaining, closer Jairo Díaz was called upon to get out of a bases loaded jam. It took all of two pitches, but the man called Panda induced a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat.

A final, futile attempt in ninth put three more on the board for the Brewers with the winning-run in the on-deck circle; however, the Rockies secured an 11-7 victory and squashed Milwaukee’s seven-game win streak.