Not much has gone the Colorado Rockies way so far in the 2019 season, but they looked like a complete team on Saturday night at Coors Field against the Miami Marlins.
They pitched well thanks to starter German Márquez, played some excellent defense, and produced 11 runs on 13 hits in one of their more comfortable wins in recent memory.
The Marlins took the lead on the second pitch of the game when a poorly located 95 mph fastball down the heart of the plate shortstop Jon Berti bashed over the high wall in right-center field.
The Rockies answered back with a run in the bottom of the first, but missed a chance to take the lead. Charlie Blackmon started it by laying off a tough 3-2 pitch to draw a walk and Trevor Story followed with a single up the middle. Nolan Arenado scorched one right at the second baseman who mishandled it initially but recovered in time for the out at first.
Daniel Murphy drove one to the warning track in left for the game-tying sac fly. Raimel Tapia kept the inning going by drawing a walk, but Ryan McMahon struck out to end the inning, stranding a pair.
Colorado jumped ahead in the second thanks to a two-out rally sparked by a Marquez double down the left-field line, reminding everyone that he is the reigning National League Silver Slugger. Blackmon scored him with another double to left and Story made it 4-1 on his 28th home run of the season, blasting a low slider the other way into the Rockies bullpen.
Miami struck back in the third with a run on a Brian Anderson single and a double into the corner in left from Garrett Cooper.
In the fourth, Tapia made one of the best catches of the season, racing back to center field to rob Lewis Brinson of a home run, crashing against the wall with equal parts force and grace.
The Rockies added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run from Blackmon and a double by Daniel Murphy that scored Story who had previously drawn a walk.
With Marquez at 88 pitches and struggling with cramping issues, Bud Black went to Carlos Estevez in the sixth. He gave up a solo home run to Cooper on a line drive to left but otherwise worked a quick inning.
McMahon got that one back with a moonshot homer to center field off the bat at 106 mph, traveling a distance of 455 feet.
Ian Desmond followed with a walk and Tony Wolters doubled down the line in right. Pinch-hitter Yonathan Daza failed to plate a run on a grounder right at the shortstop and Blackmon was intentionally passed. Story made the Fish pay for it by drawing a walk to bring in a run; Murphy singled to right to add another before Blackmon was thrown out at the plate on the same play to end the inning.
They added two more insurance runs in the seventh on another blast from McMahon, his 17th of the year, and one from Desmond to make it 11-3.
Jesus Tinoco pitched two innings, allowing just one base runner on a walk while striking out two.
Miami scratched out a run in the ninth against Yency Almonte to make the final score 11-4.
