DENVER -- Taking full advantage of a chance to start, Jesus Aguilar continued his power surge Sunday.

The Milwaukee first baseman hit two home runs as the Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 8-4 in the rubber game of a three-game series and moved closer in the National League wild-card hunt.

Chase Anderson (7-2) gave up one first-inning run and two hits in five innings in his first start for Milwaukee since he sustained a strained left oblique strain June 28.

Aguilar made his 46th start of the season as first baseman Eric Thames was rested in a day game following a Saturday night contest. Aguilar tied the game at 1 with a homer in the second inning and then belted a two-run shot to center in the seventh, a 441-foot blast that put the Brewers ahead 5-1.

"He drove the bus again today, two days in a row," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Three homers in the last two days, and a big start for him filling in there."

Aguilar drove in three runs Sunday, giving him five RBIs in two games. On Saturday night, he delivered a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth off closer Greg Holland. That shot broke a 3-3 tie and steered the Brewers to a 6-3 win.

The multi-homer game was the second of Aguilar's career. The other was this season on July 7 in New York against the Yankees.

Despite their ninth loss in 13 games, the Rockies remained one game ahead of Arizona in the National League wild-card race. The Brewers are 2 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks after winning for the sixth time in seven contests and taking a series at Coors Field to start a nine-game road trip that continues Monday at San Francisco.

"It's huge for our momentum," said Milwaukee center fielder Keon Broxton, who singled home two runs in the ninth before the Rockies tallied twice in their final at-bat. "And carrying it over tomorrow in San Fran is going to be huge. Sitting pretty high on a cloud now, so it's nice."

The Rockies' vantage point is rather different. They committed a season-high four errors, went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners in a marathon that lasted 4 hours, 4 minutes.

"It was a rough one," Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "It was a slow game, and we didn't play pretty today. We made a lot of mistakes and committed a lot of errors. It never helps the pitching staff. And our offense was really quiet today. We lose a series to a team that is chasing us. There are a lot of games (left), and we have to put this in the past."

Aguilar's second homer came against Tyler Chatwood, a demoted starter making his fourth relief appearance of the season. Aguilar has hit 14 homers in 233 at-bats this year.

Chatwood came on after left-hander Chris Rusin gave up an infield single to left-handed-hitting Travis Shaw. The right-handed-hitting Aguilar walloped Chatwood's 1-0 fastball that registered 96.2 mph.

"I was looking for something around the zone," Aguilar said. "And I hit it really good."

Anderson showed some rust in his 73-pitch outing, walking a season-high-tying three batters and hitting two after hitting four batters in 90 1/3 innings before he was injured.

"First couple innings, I felt I was trying to force it and trying to feel out my mechanics," Anderson said. "But the last three innings I pitched, I felt better than the first two. I just tried to execute and keep the ball down. Below the glove and above the glove, that was my thought today."

Anderson was lifted in the sixth for pinch hitter Neil Walker after Rockies starter Kyle Freeland issued consecutive two-out walks that ended his outing. Walker singled to give Milwaukee a 3-1 lead.

Ryan Braun's sacrifice fly to deep right-center with the bases loaded in the fifth put the Brewers ahead 2-1.

Freeland (11-8) gave up four hits and three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings with a career-high five walks and seven strikeouts. Normally Freeland is able to get an abundance of outs on ground balls. But not so Sunday, when he recorded four outs on ground balls, including two on sacrifices.

Anderson gave up a run in the first on Mark Reynolds' sacrifice fly but dodged a big inning. He loaded the bases on Charlie Blackmon's leadoff single, a walk and hit Gerardo Parra with a pitch. However, after Reynolds drove in a run, Anderson got Gonzalez to fly out.

Anderson hit Blackmon with a pitch to open the third. The runner was thrown out attempting to steal, a call the Rockies unsuccessfully challenged. Anderson then issued consecutive walks but got Parra to pop out and struck out Reynolds.

After giving up a leadoff double to Gonzalez in the fourth, Anderson retired the next three batters and set the side down in order in the fifth, his final inning.

"Today I just told myself, forget about what I did before I got hurt," Anderson said. "It's a new day, and just continue to try and help this team win."

NOTES: To clear a roster spot for the return of RHP Chase Anderson (left oblique strain) from the disabled list, the Brewers optioned RHP Brandon Woodruff to Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... The Rockies, who finished 3-4 on a homestand that began against Atlanta, last won consecutive games when they took three straight Aug. 3-5. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu had a season-high and career-high-tying three walks. ... Brewers RHP Corey Knebel earned his 26th save when he struck out PH Mike Tauchman, the only batter he faced to end the game.