Hunter Goodman and the bullpen banded together to finally get the Rockies to double-digit wins.
Goodman blasted two homers and four Colorado relievers combined for four scoreless innings to snap an eight-game slide by beating the Marlins 6-4 on Monday at a nearly empty loanDepot Park in Miami. The win improved Colorado to 10-50 amid the worst 60-game start in MLB’s modern era (since 1901).
It marked Goodman’s third career two-homer game and first this season, as the Rockies notched their fourth road win in 32 tries. The win also puts Colorado in position to claim its first series win in 2025 with a victory on Tuesday or Wednesday after losing the first 19 series to begin the season.
“That was a really good win for us,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters. “The way (German) Marquez battled back and got the win, and it was good to see (Goodman) have good swings … you could just feel it in the dugout that the boys were fighting all night. It’s good to see them come out on top.”
The Rockies struck first via Thairo Estrada’s RBI double in the first off Marlins right-hander Max Meyer, which scored Goodman. But Marquez gave the lead away quickly in the bottom of the inning when the Marlins scored three runs on two hits and an error.
Jesús Sánchez added on for Miami in the second with an RBI double to make it 4-1, but Marquez settled in from there while the Rockies’ offense woke up and turned the tables.
Goodman homered 401 feet to center field in the third, then Tyler Freeman’s RBI single scored Brenton Doyle to make it 4-3 in the fourth. In the fifth, Goodman went deep to center off Meyer again — a 418-foot, two-run shot that swung the game to a 5-4 Rockies advantage.
After Marquez got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and then negated a leadoff double in the fifth with no damage, the Rockies bullpen shut down the Marlins from there.
“When the going got tough for (Marquez) tonight, he made his best pitches,” Schaeffer said. “Some punchouts with runners aboard. He just dug deep. It could’ve went either way, and he chose to make pitches.”
Jake Bird, Tyler Kinley and Seth Halvorsen each tossed a scoreless inning. Then Zach Agnos continued his strong rookie season by notching the save in the ninth after Colorado added an insurance run in the top of the inning via Sam Hilliard’s RBI double. The bullpen quartet only gave up two total hits, with no walks.
“It’s just a group effort, and that’s what I love about this (win),” Schaeffer said.
Of note in the rare victory, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar left the game in the eighth inning. Orlando Arcia moved from third to shortstop to replace him, and Ryan McMahon came in at third. Tovar told reporters after the game that he felt a pinch on his left side around his rib, and Schaeffer said he was pulled as a precaution.
Tuesday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (2-5, 6.28 ERA) at Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-7, 8.47)
4:40 p.m. Tuesday, loanDepot Park
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM
Trending: Dollander, who has been on the injured list since May 19 with right forearm tightness, is expected to return to the bigs for his Tuesday start in Miami. He’s had ups and downs since making his MLB debut on April 6, but the Rockies hope he can continue to grow amid a lost season for the club overall.
Pitching probables
Wednesday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (0-8, 5.72) at Marlins RHP Cal Quantrill (3-5, 5.84), 10:10 a.m.
Thursday: Off day
Friday: Mets RHP Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.60) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-10, 7.14), 6:40 p.m.
— Kyle Newman, The Denver Post
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