Mouton’s Hit Puts an End to Long Night

James Mouton just wanted to end the game.

Mouton’s 12th inning pinch-hit single gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

“If we’ve got to play that long, we’ve got to go ahead and try to win that one,” Mouton said.

His hit ended Milwaukee’s three-game losing streak and Colorado’s six-game winning streak, its longest since 1998.

Stan Belinda hit Luis Lopez with a pitch leading off the 12th. Lopez, the fourth Brewer hit during the game, took second on Raul Casanova’s sacrifice and went to third on a wild pitch before Mouton singled to center.

“Three-and-two [the count], I’m just looking to put the ball in play, that’s all I’m doing,” Mouton said.

“I was happy to see him get that hit and get a smile on his face again,” Milwaukee Manager Davey Lopes said.

Valerio De Los Santos pitched two hitless innings for his first career win.

Jeff Cirillo, back in Milwaukee for the first time since being traded in the off-season, said the hit batters were unfortunate.

“It’s a tough loss,” he said. “In that situation, you don’t want to hit someone. Two of them started innings. It wasn’t like we were trying to hit any of them.”

Pedro Astacio hit Lopez in the fifth inning and Jose Hernandez in the seventh. Mike Myers hit Jeromy Burnitz in the 11th.

Charlie Hayes tied the score in the ninth with an RBI single off Astacio after a throwing error by catcher Scott Servais.

Jeffrey Hammonds’ 10th home run gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning.

“Hit batter, sacrifice, wild pitch, now you’re really in trouble with a guy on third base with less than two out,” Colorado Manager Buddy Bell said of the strange plays. “That’s how they scored their runs. In a game like this, those are the kind of things that eventually help you lose a game.”

Astacio gave up five hits and struck out seven in nine innings, throwing two wild pitches.

Jamey Wright made his first appearance against Colorado since being traded and his third start since coming off the disabled list May 23. Wright, who had been sidelined by a tear in his right rotator cuff, gave up three hits in eight innings and struck out a career-high seven.

The Brewers were without shortstop Mark Lotetta, who broke a bone in his left foot in Friday night’s game, and catcher Henry Blanco, who is in Venezuela because his father is ill.