Brewers clear bases after wild pitch

The Milwaukee Brewers scored plenty with the bases loaded in Saturday's 9-4 victory against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, but they didn't need a hit do so.

Three runs came in after a wild pitch.

With two outs in the third inning, Rockies left-hander Christian Friedrich intentionally walked Jean Segura to load the bases for opposing pitcher Wily Peralta. Friedrich sent his 1-2 offering to Peralta to the backstop, and catcher Michael McKenry tracked down the ball along the first-base line. Aramis Ramirez scored from third on the wild pitch, but McKenry's attempt to throw him out at the plate went awry, allowing Mark Reynolds to score from second on the wild throw, which Friedrich then retrieved near the third-base dugout.

The Rockies pitcher, thinking timeout had been called by the umpires, trotted slowly toward the mound with the ball, but Segura, who had moved to third base but was held by no one, moved toward home.

With Friedrich not paying attention and McKenry bent over due to back pain near home plate (he stayed in the game), Segura raced down the line. Friedrich noticed him, and instead of throwing to McKenry, sprinted for home to no avail.

The unusual play represented something many of those involved had never seen in their baseball lives.

"It was crazy. A crazy play," Segura said. "I've never seen that in my life, in my whole career."

Ramirez, who had a solo homer among three hits, added: "First time in my career I've seen three runs score on a wild pitch."

The bases-clearing wild pitch broke open the game, giving the Brewers an 8-2 lead. McKenry's throwing error was scored as the Rockies' fourth fielding miscue of the game -- following three in the previous inning. Of the nine runs Friedrich allowed in six innings, only four were earned.

The Rockies, who have floundered to a 6-13 record in June, sit 9½ games behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. 

"It was just one of those bizarre plays," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "It was an unfortunate play and it ended up hurting us."