NEW YORK -- Germán Márquez did what doesn't happen often on Sunday: he made a dominant Max Scherzer the second-best pitcher on the mound.

The Rockies right-hander denied the likely Hall of Famer his 200th win in the series finale against the Mets at Citi Field, and it took Márquez’s best game of the year to do it.

"This was a marquee matchup for me," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "Max Scherzer and Germán Márquez. Germán has had his ups and downs this year, but I had a feeling he was going to rise to the occasion in New York against one of the premier pitchers in the game. And he did."

Márquez outdueled Scherzer with seven scoreless innings in the Rockies' 1-0 win. He allowed only one hit, a single through the right side by Jeff McNeil leading off the fifth inning.

"I like to face guys like that," Márquez said. "I like to pitch games like that."

Márquez struck out five, with four of those K's coming on his knuckle-curve, the best of which buckled Francisco Lindor to one knee to end the sixth inning. He now has 76 strikeouts on his curveball this season, the third most of any pitcher behind only the Braves' Charlie Morton and the Astros' Framber Valdez, who have 91 each. Márquez said after the game that he's been working on taking some velocity off his curve, and he liked the results against the Mets.

So even though Scherzer struck out 11 in his own seven innings of work, when the Rockies scratched out a lone run against him in the top of the seventh, Márquez's gem spoiled his chance at the milestone victory.

"Max is one of the best, and it was one of my best," Márquez said. "It's amazing to compete against that guy. You can see that focus, that thing that he has. He's good."

Márquez capped his outing with a statement inning in the bottom of the seventh after Brian Serven's sacrifice fly off Scherzer staked him to a 1-0 lead. Facing Pete Alonso and the middle of the Mets' order, Márquez pitched one last shutdown inning.

When he retired Mark Canha on a groundout up the middle to punctuate his day, Márquez pumped his fist coming off the mound.

The 27-year-old former All-Star entered Sunday's game with a 5.22 ERA, nearly three full runs higher than Scherzer's 2.33 mark. Márquez pitched only one other scoreless game this season, 7 2/3 innings against the Twins more than two months ago on June 24.

But even in that game, Márquez allowed eight baserunners, including five on walks. He was better on Sunday, his command sharper, against a Mets team that had beaten the Rockies in the first three games of the series and was looking for a sweep behind their ace.

"The circumstances -- three tough losses here, Sunday day game against one of the best pitchers of the last couple of decades? You've got to really think that this might be his best," Black said.

Black and Márquez had talked about the matchup with Scherzer before the game. Black saw his pitcher was motivated pitching against Scherzer, and at the end of the game, the stat line showed it.

In Márquez's seven-year career, he's only had two other games where he's gone seven or more innings while allowing no more than one hit: a one-hit shutout of the Pirates on June 29, 2021, and a one-hit shutout of the Giants on April 14, 2019. So he knew this was the best of his 2022 season so far.

"I'm feeling that way," Márquez said. "Everything was a lot different -- focus, command, pitch by pitch."

The Rockies, for whatever reason, are one of the few teams Scherzer has had a hard time beating. Even after Sunday's seven-inning, one-run performance, he has a 4.54 ERA against Colorado in 12 career starts, his third highest against any team after the Red Sox and A's. Scherzer is 2-5 against the Rockies, his worst record against any team by winning percentage.

On Sunday, he would have beaten almost anyone. But Márquez made sure Scherzer didn't get the Rockies.

"The National League is aware of Germán," Black said. "And I think it showed up today."