DENVER -- As he warmed up for the sixth inning Monday night, Rockies pitcher Germán Márquez began flexing the right forearm that had kept the Cardinals at bay for five innings. 

Catcher Elias Díaz saw more than just uncomfortable movement. He saw Márquez’s season, and the fortunes of a Rockies team that can't afford to lose its No. 1 starter, flash before his eyes, so he summoned athletic trainers from the dugout.

The hope is Márquez, who left after five innings in his 7-4 victory at Coors Field, was correct about his mid-forearm tightness when he said, “I’ll be OK.” 

If so, the Rockies can enjoy a night of production from lower-order hitters Alan Trejo (career high-tying three hits), Ezequiel Tovar (two doubles) and Elehuris Montero (double and single to make his average .400 -- 8-for-20 -- over his last six games).

Márquez -- who retired the first nine batters, eight on grounders, gave up two runs during an uncomfortable fourth and retired the last six batters he saw -- remained hopeful, even as he finished the night with an electronic stimulator hooked to his throwing arm. 

Doctors examined him after he left the game. It was unclear whether a further exam, such as an MRI, is required. Márquez, who acknowledged he has dealt with tightness between starts, doesn’t know if he’ll miss a start. The rotation is thin behind Márquez and Kyle Freeland.

“I felt it in the fourth, when I tried to hurry up a little bit,” Márquez said. “Díaz told me I had to stop when he saw me warming up in the sixth, and he saw it.”

Before the worrisome muscle issue, Márquez had his second standout start this season. He threw just 62 pitches and finished with four strikeouts to increase his career total to 979, all since breaking in with the Rockies in 2016. He is six from Jorge De La Rosa’s club record. The victory was his 65th, which moved him ahead of Jeff Francis and into third place in Colorado history.

Cardinals third baseman and former teammate Nolan Arenado stopped before the game to appreciate Márquez’s place in the history of a club that has struggled to pitch in its extreme hitter-friendly environment.

“Hopefully, [the strikeout mark] doesn’t happen tonight -- that would not be good,” Arenado said. “But he's obviously had electric stuff. I've always loved Márquez, man. He's so talented. And to see him maintain that here, it’s hard to do. Pitching in Colorado is not easy. It’s not easy physically, but it’s also not easy mentally. For Márquez to stay so strong mentally shows how good he is.”

Márquez then showed it.

“I was super good, commanding everything good,” Márquez said. “But the thing happened, and I have to be worried about it.”

Díaz stopped Márquez from giving himself more cause for worry. 

“I saw him moving his arm and saw his face,” Díaz said. “And I said, ‘Something’s wrong here.’”

Diaz, head athletic trainer Keith Dugger, assistant athletic trainer Heath Townsend and manager Bud Black strode to the mound and did a quick examination. Márquez dropped the baseball, conferred more, then left the field with Townsend.

Black described the decision to end Márquez’s night as precautionary.

“Hope he’s going to be fine -- we think he is,” Black said. “We’re going to re-evaluate, see how he is tomorrow, the next day. He did the right thing, let us know.”