Marquez, Wolters team to shut down Marlins

MIAMI -- Breaking pitches that helped Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez dominate the first five innings Friday night began to desert him in the sixth. But he and catcher Tony Wolters found the answers in time to salvage his night -- and leave the Rockies in position for a 6-1 victory over the Marlins.

Even with the rough patch, Marquez -- speaking in Spanish with bullpen coach Aaron Munoz translating -- met his goals, “just to win, and maintain my control and my command.”

In holding the Marlins to two hits and striking out seven in his six innings, Marquez coaxed swings and misses on five of his 13 curves and six of his 26 sliders. But in the sixth, two walks and a hit batsman left the bases loaded for Starlin Castro. However, Marquez forced a grounder to short on a 97 mph fastball with the count 2-2. The bullpen held the Marlins hitless.

Friday was what the Rockies expect of Marquez, who set a club record with 230 strikeouts last year and enters this season with much expectation.

The Rockies have opened the regular season with two wins at Marlins Park behind Marquez and lefty Kyle Freeland, who held the Marlins to one run and two hits in seven innings on Thursday afternoon. The only run against Marquez on Friday was Curtis Granderson’s leadoff homer in the fourth.

“He’s showing the poise of a couple years’ Major League service that we’ve talked about -- a developing, maturing pitcher,” manager Bud Black said.

Wolters, who gave Marquez an out by erasing Rosell Herrera on a steal attempt of second, made a nice butterfly save on a curveball in the dirt. Marquez had wild pitches on two curves earlier in the inning.

“‘Markie’ knew I would block them,” Wolters said. “I tell him all the time, 'I'd rather you throw one 12 feet than hang one. So just rip it.'”

Marquez regrouped and vanquished Castro.

“They’re a good-hitting team,” Marquez said. “I just got a little quick [in the sixth].”

Marquez had a 3.02 ERA last year in 23 starts throwing to Wolters. On Friday, he got a couple of assists from Wolters’ arm. Granderson led off the bottom of the first with a nine-pitch walk. On the ninth pitch to No. 2 hitter Brian Anderson, Marquez got the strikeout on a bouncing slider and Wolters made the pick-and-throw to erase Granderson on a steal attempt. And Wolters threw out Herrera in the key sixth.

Ryan McMahon doubled down the left-field line to open the top of the seventh, and Charlie Blackmon placed a double -- also just inside the left-field foul line for his second opposite-field hit -- for the go-ahead run. Both hits were by lefty hitters against Marlins lefty reliever Adam Conley.

“It was more a product of tough pitches -- hitting them the other way is the only way I know to not roll over those,” said Blackmon, who had three hits and two RBIs.

Blackmon, who saw an increased number of infield shifts last year, hopes showing that he can hit the other way with intent will force defenses to play him more straight-up.

“If you look up and see a spray chart, and a lot of balls are peppered to left field, they’re less likely to shift,” he said.

Center fielder Ian Desmond preserved a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, when he leaped high above the wall to snatch what would have been a leadoff homer for Lewis Brinson, with rookie DJ Johnson on the mound.

Wolters didn’t execute a bunt in the seventh, but was rescued by Blackmon’s double. However, Wolters -- trying to prove himself offensively so he can justify increased playing time -- drove in the first run of a four-run ninth with his second hit, a double off reliever Sergio Romo.

Up next

Lefty Tyler Anderson has pitched reasonably well against the Marlins, even at Marlins Park. He has a 2.70 ERA and 18 strikeouts to four walks overall against Miami, and a 2.57 ERA in two starts at Marlins Park. However, he has thrown just 20 innings overall vs. the Marlins and seven at Miami, so he needs to be more efficient in Saturday's 4:10 MT start against righty Pablo López, who has never faced the Rockies.