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Final Score: Colorado 8 - Milwaukee 3

Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Former Brewer Glendon Rusch won as a starter for the first time in two years and Garrett Atkins clubbed a pair of homers as the Colorado Rockies pulled away for an 8-3 victory over Milwaukee.

Joe Koshansky belted a two-run homer for the defending National League champions, who won for the seventh time in nine games. Scott Podsednik, another former Brewer, had two hits and two RBI.

Rusch (2-3) allowed five hits and one run while logging four strikeouts over six innings to post a win as a starter for the first time since July 9, 2006 when he was with the Chicago Cubs. That game was also at Miller Park.

Rusch, who pitched for the Brewers in 2002 and '03, is 5-2 lifetime versus Milwaukee.

It's been a big turnaround for Rusch, who made 12 relief appearances for the Padres this season before being released. This was his third game for the Rockies.

Ben Sheets (10-3) had a season-best 11 strikeouts, but was lifted after surrendering five hits and three runs through six innings. He threw 110 pitches before being replaced, but the bullpen failed the Brewers.

"You know you're going to have a tough time when you face him," Rusch said of Sheets. "I was excited about it, but I'll enjoy it for a couple of days."

Bill Hall homered for the Brewers, losers in two of the opening three contests of this four-game set.

Mike Cameron singled in Hall and pinch-hitter Russell Branyan's infield hit drove in Cameron in the eighth to get the Brewers within 4-3.

However, Guillermo Mota imploded with two outs in the eighth. Atkins homered to left-center, and after Brad Hawpe singled, Chris Iannetta tripled to center. Koshansky then crushed a homer to center.

"Facing CC (Sabathia) and Ben today, we have to tip our cap to the offense because those two were electric," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said.

Hall led off the second with a homer to left, but Podsednik singled in Omar Quintanilla in the fifth.

Matt Holliday walked ahead of Atkins' homer in the sixth and it became 4-1 in the seventh when Podsednik singled in Quintanilla again.

"I didn't make many mistakes and when I did they hurt," Sheets said. "Last game I made a lot of mistakes, but they didn't hurt."