PARRA PASSES TEST IN FIRST START AS FIRST BASEMAN

MILWAUKEE» Gerardo Parra played his 1,068th major-league game Wednesday, but this one was different.

Parra, an outfielder, started at first base for the first time in the Rockies’ 7-1 loss to Milwaukee.

“I’m just trying to help the team,” Parra said. “It felt good. I don’t feel too bad at first base. I take groundballs before the games.”

Rockies starter Tyler Anderson took care of the first nine outs with six strikeouts and three flyballs. Parra got his first action at first in the fourth inning when Keon Broxton grounded to Nolan Arenado at third.

An inning later, Arenado gave Parra his first real test by throwing in the dirt on Ryan Braun’s grounder. Parra scooped up the ball as though he had been doing it his entire career.

“I threw a little scooper,” Arenado said with a laugh. “But if someone’s playing first base, I expect him to scoop it up.”

Parra worked at first base in spring training last season while with Milwaukee. Coincidentally, Parra’s first spring training start at first base in 2015 came against the Rockies.

“He’s been working out over there, and we’re just trying to find a way to keep him involved with our outfield situation,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.

LeMahieu sits. Second baseman DJ LeMahieu missed his second straight game with a sore left wrist, although he said the wrist is feeling better. LeMahieu strained the wrist on a check swing Monday night.

“It feels fine; it feels better,” LeMahieu said.

LeMahieu was available for pinch-running or as a defensive sub but wasn’t needed.

“I knew he was going to be a few days,” Weiss said. “He’s still available to do some of the other things. I’m just not going to use him to hit.”

With an off day Thursday, LeMahieu will have three days of recovery time. “That’s the plan,” Weiss said. “When you hurt your wrist, your fingers — anything to your hand as a hitter — it’s going to take a little while,” Weiss added.

Cooled down. No. 2 catcher Tony Wolters entered the game as one of the National League’s best hitters since the all-star break. He was hitting .439 (18for-41) since the break, and .423 (11-for-26) in August before going 0-for-4 on Wednesday to snap a streak of four multihit games.

Footnote. With rookie Tyler Anderson striking out 10 Wednesday and rookie Jon Gray striking out 10 on Tuesday, it marked the first time in Rockies history that pitchers posted back-to-back games with double figures in strikeouts.