MILWAUKEE — Jim Edmonds’ leadoff single set up a two-run rally in the sixth inning that put Milwaukee ahead and Trevor Hoffman earned his 593rd career save as the Brewers held off the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Wednesday.
Edmonds, a 39-year-old former All-Star who spent last season out of baseball, made his second start in right field for Milwaukee. He went 2 for 4 with a double and scored twice.
After losing the season opener, the Brewers won the next two from the Rockies.
Reliever Todd Coffey (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings after a rough start by Doug Davis.
Backup catcher Miguel Olivo homered for the Rockies. Carlos Gonzalez had two hits, keeping up his fast start to the season.
With Milwaukee trailing 4-3 going into the sixth, Edmonds singled, went to third on a single by Casey McGehee, then scored on a sacrifice fly by George Kottaras to tie it. That was the end of the day for Rockies starter Aaron Cook (0-1), who was relieved by Randy Flores.
Pinch-hitter Jody Gerut doubled down the right-field line, scoring McGehee to give Milwaukee a 5-4 lead.
Rockies manager Jim Tracy dipped deep into his bench only three games into the season, giving first baseman Todd Helton, outfielder Brad Hawpe catcher Chris Iannetta and second baseman Clint Barmes the day off. Helton and Hawpe appeared as pinch-hitters in the ninth as Hoffman earned his second game of the season, moving him closer to becoming the first pitcher with 600 career saves.
It was a shaky return to the Brewers for Davis, who rejoined his old team as a free agent in the offseason after three seasons in Arizona — a stint that included treatments for thyroid cancer in 2008. Davis first pitched for Milwaukee from 2003-06.
He was wild from the start Wednesday, giving up three runs, walking three and throwing a pair of wild pitches in the first inning alone.
Davis gave up a leadoff single to Gonzalez, who went to second on a wild pitch. Davis then walked Dexter Fowler and gave up an RBI double to Troy Tulowitzki. Davis walked the next two batters and uncorked a wild pitch that scored Fowler. When the Brewers couldn’t turn a double play on a ground ball by Melvin Mora, Tulowitzki scored to put Colorado ahead 3-0.
The Brewers got a run back in the second on an RBI double by Alcides Escobar.
Olivo’s solo home run in the third glanced off the glove of leaping left fielder Ryan Braun, putting Colorado up 4-1. Edmonds doubled and scored on a groundout by Kottaras in the fourth, cutting the lead to 4-2.
Brewers manager Ken Macha turned to Coffey after Davis gave up a bloop double to Fowler to lead off the fifth. Fowler went to third on a wild pitch by Coffey, but the reliever got a strikeout and double play to end the inning.
Davis threw 88 pitches in four-plus innings, giving up four runs and six hits with three walks.
Milwaukee cut the lead to 4-3 on a double by Craig Counsell and RBI single by Rickie Weeks
NOTES: Macha said RHP Jeff Suppan will get the first shot as the team’s No. 5 starter. Suppan will make a rehabilitation start at the Brewers’ Class A affiliate in Appleton, Wis., on Friday, then start a game in the Brewers’ series at Chicago next week. … Tracy said before the game that he thinks his bench will be a strong asset this season, allowing him to rest his starters more frequently. … Davis and Coffey combined for four wild pitches.
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