Rockies Drop Close One To Marlins 6-5
The Colorado Rockies (45-72) traded leads throughout the night, before eventually coming up just short in a 6-5 loss to the visiting Miami Marlins (54-66). The loss snaps the Rockies' four-game winning streak that started with last week's sweep of Milwaukee. Game 3 of the four-game series is tonight at 6:10 at Coors Field (TV: Root Sports).
The Marlins struck early, putting up a run in the first when Gorkys Hernandez singled to right, stole second, and scored on Carlos Lee's double down the left-field line. Rockies starter Jeff Francis hit the next batter, Giancarlo Stanton, but recovered quickly, allowing only a bunt single over the next 3 1/3 innings.
The Rockies took the lead in the interim after a two-run fourth that made the most of a dynamic young lineup. Rookie shortstop Josh Rutledge sparked the rally with a single up the middle, and Dexter Fowler pushed him along with a bunt single to the pitcher. Rookies Wilin Rosario and Jordan Pacheco plated Rutledge and Fowler with respective singles to left and center. Of the Rockies' 12 hits, 11 were singles.
"It's a big yard -- the ball drops in," Eric Young Jr. said. "We'll take hits no matter if it's a long ball or small ball. String them together and score some runs."
Francis could have used an inch bigger yard in the fifth frame. He struggled in his final inning, giving up a leadoff single to John Buck, the first ball hit out of the infield after Lee's first-inning double. After Marlins starting pitcher Wade LeBlanc sacrificed Buck over and Hernandez walked with two outs, Reyes powered a Francis curve off the glove of left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and into the stands for three-run homer to give the Marlins a 4-2 lead.
Colorado quickly rebounded in the bottom of the inning, taking Francis off the hook with its own three-run rally. Jonathan Herrera, pinch-hitting for Francis, drew a leadoff walk, then went first to third on a high pop single to shallow center from Young.
Young stole second, and Rutledge knocked Herrera home with an infield single to short. After Fowler sacrificed, Gonzalez drove in a run with a grounder to third, and Rosario reclaimed the lead with a run-scoring single up the middle.
Official: Friday's Box Score.
Reliable reliever Josh Roenicke had a rough outing, yielding a towering 474 leadoff homer to Stanton -- the longest of the season at Coors Field -- to even the score, then lost the lead when Donovan Solano tripled on a ball that hit the center-field wall on a bounce, and he scored on a Buck double deep into the right-center alley.
Roenicke entered the season with 69 2/3 innings in parts of four seasons in the Majors, but he has 72 2/3 so far this season, leading all Major League relievers.
The loss put the skids on a four-game Rockies winning streak. It marked the fourth in the last five games that Colorado needed seven runs to win, and the first time in the stretch the Rockies weren't able to complete the job.
Tickets are available for tonight’s game at Coors Field vs. the Miami Marlins, and can be purchased by calling (800) 388-ROCK, or click here.
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