MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers' patchwork pitching staff provided the perfect fix for a Rockies offense that has struggled mightily against Milwaukee.

Colorado took advantage of a last-minute injury to Brewers starter Chase Anderson and scored at least three runs in three innings. The result was an 11-4 win at Miller Park on Wednesday for the Rockies, who entered the game having lost 12 of 14 and five straight against Milwaukee, a run that includes getting swept in last season’s National League Division Series. Until a three-run ninth inning in Tuesday’s loss, Colorado had scored one unearned run in the previous 36 innings against the Brewers.

"It was a unique game all the way around,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Our starter went four [innings], threw 86 pitches. Their named starter didn't even start, and they had to go to a bullpen game. It was one of those funky games."

It was the Rockies' most runs scored against the Brewers since a 12-4 win on July 14, 2011, at Coors Field, and it was one shy of their most at Miller Park, set in a 12-6 victory on Aug. 24, 2001.

Nolan Arenado got Colorado rolling in the first inning with the first of his two home runs, a three-run shot off fill-in starter Jacob Barnes, whose first 224 professional appearances were all out of the bullpen. The Rockies added three in the sixth inning off last-minute Brewers callup Corbin Burnes, and they then had a four-run eighth, which was capped by a three-run home run from Trevor Story.

“It’s tough. Obviously something that we weren’t expecting,” Story said. “You kind of prepare all day for one guy and then have it be a different guy. But that’s kind of baseball. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Barnes walked Charlie Blackmon and Story to start the game, and after Daniel Murphy struck out, Arenado sent a 1-0 pitch a projected 425 feet, according to Statcast, to center field for his seventh homer, which gave the Rockies their first lead of the series at 3-0.

“Tonight, I think we had the same approach, same intensity, same focus, but better swings, especially later in the game,” Black said. “Nolan gave us a big swing early after a couple walks. And then we sort of quieted, and then we picked it back up again. To a man, I thought there were some really good at-bats.”

After the Brewers took the lead through a two-run Mike Moustakas homer in the first inning and a two-run Ben Gamel single in the fifth, Burnes allowed three in the sixth through a wild pitch and run-scoring hits from Tony Wolters and Blackmon. Burnes' callup was announced after Arenado's first-inning home run, while he was warming up in the Brewers' bullpen. He had apparently been summoned for an upcoming roster move.

After Story capped the three-run eighth inning with his home run, Arenado added his second home run of the game in the ninth off Jeremy Jeffress. The star third baseman now has seven home runs at Miller Park, where he is hitting .381 (24-for-63) with 16 runs and 17 RBIs in 16 games.

“Trevor, big blow, obviously. Tony had a couple RBIs that were critical that gave us the lead, which was nice,” Black said. “We took our walks, got some singles. … I think we just stayed on the attack from the first inning on, and then like I said, a little lull and then we picked it up late.”

Black said it was important to take advantage of the Brewers muddled pitching situation.

"You try to because you know they're in a little bit of dire straits. They made the quick activation of Burnes to get him on the roster. I saw Gio Gonzalez go down to the bullpen, so they had some guys,” Black said. “But in that type of game, you'd think you're in pretty good position if you get off to a good start like we did. But, for them, if they win that game, what a game that is for them, when their starter doesn't even start and they win the game."