Consider the Rockies on a full-blown heater.
Colorado won a season-high fourth consecutive game on Wednesday at Nationals Park with a 3-1 victory over Washington. German Marquez turned back the clock, Michael Toglia stayed hot, and the defense and bullpen came up clutch against a struggling Nats team that’s lost 11 straight.
“I thought it was a really good game for us all the way around,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters. “Marquee set the tone, then (Jake Bird) did a great job coming in and getting a big out. … It was good stuff from the pitching department, and we got some big hits.”
The Rockies are now 8-8 in the month of June. They have as many wins this month as April and May combined. Though they remain on pace to go 37-125, which would still break the 2024 White Sox’s modern loss record of 121, there have been encouraging signs over the past few weeks that Colorado might avoid infamy.
After five scoreless innings to start the game as both Nationals southpaw Mitchell Parker and Marquez dazzled, the action heated up in the fifth inning when Colorado took a 1-0 lead off Toglia’s homer.
It was Toglia’s third homer in two games after he went deep twice in Colorado’s homer-fest victory on Tuesday night. That gave Marquez some cushion, but the Nationals threatened in the sixth.
Marquez scattered six hits and two walks along with two strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, but Easy Cheese got into a jam with two outs and two on in the sixth. Ol’ reliable Jake Bird came in and induced a groundout to end the threat and keep it a 1-0 Colorado advantage.
Marquez, who scuffled to start the season, now has a 2.94 ERA over his last six starts. It’s the lowest ERA he’s posted in a six-start span since July and August of 2021, his All-Star season.
“He’s in a really good spot moving forward,” Schaeffer said.
In the seventh, the Rockies made it 2-0 by manufacturing a run.
Orlando Arcia led off with a triple, extending Colorado’s MLB-most 25 three-baggers this season. Then, with one out, rookie Ryan Ritter laid down a beautiful bunt on a suicide squeeze to score Arcia. Brad Lord threw a 95-mph heater right at Ritter’s head as he squared to bunt, but Ritter got the bunt down while falling to the ground.
“I know (Lord) has a lot of (run) to his ball, so I was expecting a ball to my face, honestly,” Ryan Ritter told Rockies TV. “I just knew I needed to get a job done.”
In the bottom of the inning, Washington finally got on the board against rookie right-hander Juan Mejia. A two-out walk brought the Nationals’ best hitter to the plate, and James Wood delivered a double in the right-center gap to cut the score to 2-1.
But Jordan Beck got that run back in the eighth with a solo homer 398 feet to left field. After a seven-homer performance on Tuesday that tied the franchise single-game record, that gave Colorado 12 homers in the series, tying the club record for most dingers in a single series with the finale still to play on Thursday.
Over the course of Wednesday’s win, Colorado got plus defense in addition to premium pitching.
Arcia’s full sprawl to snare a line drive at third base ended the third inning and stranded the bases loaded, sparing Marquez from being tagged for at least one run, and possibly two. And in the seventh, two-time defending Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle made a diving play on a sinking liner in the left-center gap to open the inning.
“Arcia’s play saved the game early,” Schaeffer said.
Following Meija, Tyler Kinley worked a scoreless eighth and Seth Halvorsen recorded his fifth save with a one-two-three ninth.
All of that put the finishing touches on Colorado’s first four-game win streak in over a full year. The last time the Rockies did so was from May 9-15, 2024, when they won seven straight.
Thursday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (2-7, 6.57) at Nationals RHP Trevor Williams (3-8, 5.71)
11:05 a.m. Thursday, Nationals 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: Down on the farm, last year’s No. 3 overall pick Charlie Condon is raking. Condon struggled in his pro debut last year in High-A Spokane and then broke his wrist in spring training this season, delaying his 2025 debut. But the corner infielder/left fielder has gotten into a rhythm since returning to the lineup for Spokane. Entering Wednesday, he’s reached games in all 24 games he’s played for the Indians, the longest active streak in the Northwest League, while slashing .364/.500/.477 with two homers and 14 RBIs. A call-up to Double-A Hartford is imminent.
Pitching probables
Friday: Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (4-8, 5.19) at Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (0-0, 0.00), 6:40 p.m.
Saturday: Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (6-3, 3.41) at Rockies LHP Carson Palmquist (0-4, 7.76), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (8-4, 5.38) at Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-10, 6.72), 1:10 p.m.
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