Rockies go for sweep against Athletics (Jul 29, 2018)
DENVER -- German Marquez, who was reinstated from the paternity list Friday, will start Sunday for the Colorado Rockies when they try to sweep a three-game series from the Oakland Athletics.
The Rockies beat the A's 4-1 on Saturday night after taking the series opener 3-1 on Friday. The A's, winners of 27 of their past 36 games, have lost back-to-back contests for the first time since their season-high four-game losing streak June 12-15 and lost their first series since June 12-14 against Houston.
"We should feel good about what we've accomplished," A's manager Bob Melvin said after Saturday's defeat. "We've lost a series. We have an opportunity to win a game tomorrow and go back home, which would end up being a good road trip. We're not going to be perfect every game. We're not going to score seven, eight runs every game. And have to give them credit; they pitched us well."
The A's (61-45) are 4-2 on their road trip that began at Texas and ends Sunday. The Rockies (56-47) are 11-2 at Coors Field this month and on a 22-9 ascent.
Marquez, who has never faced the A's, last pitched July 20 at Arizona and gave up six runs (five earned) in five innings in a no-decision when the Rockies won 11-10.
Marquez returned to San Felix, Venezuela, to be with his girlfriend, Diluanny, for the birth of their son, Damian, who weighed 8 pounds. Marquez (8-8, 5.00) is 3-0, 3.24 in his past four starts and will be trying to improve at Coors Field where he is 3-5, 7.31 in 10 starts. He won his last home start July 11 against the Diamondbacks, giving up two runs in six innings in Colorado's 19-2 romp.
Marquez will make the 53rd start of his career Sunday and have more than the usual incentive to do well in this outing -- and those in the future -- now that he has become a father for the first time.
"I got to think about all my family now and that little guy," Marquez said. "That's huge for me, you know. Everything for me is my family. I work for that, and I work hard for that. It's huge."
Frankie Montas (5-2, 3.54) will oppose Marquez. The A's recalled Montes, who has never faced the Rockies, from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday for his second stint with them this year. He had a no-decision that night at Texas where he allowed four runs (three) earned in five innings in a game the A's roared back to win 13-10 in 10 innings after trailing 10-2 after six. He won his final start before the All-Star break 2-0 on July 9 at Houston, limiting the world champion Astros to three hits in six innings.
A's catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who spent the final two months of last season with the Rockies, said of Montes, "Four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider and changeup. Really good sinker and throws hard. He pitches with his fastball and uses his other stuff as accessory pitches. He's got good stuff. His strength is his heater, for sure, but his off-speed stuff is catching up and it's getting better every start. Good attitude, very poised. Kind of reminds me of Marquez and (Antonio) Senzatela. Very similar to those two."
Rockies reliever Seunghwan Oh, acquired from Toronto on Thursday for two minor league prospects, joined the team Saturday and made his Rockies debut. He pitched a scoreless seventh, giving up a hit and a walk while throwing 15 of 22 pitches for strikes.
Before seeing Oh pitch for his team, Rockies manager Bud Black recalled his positive impression of Oh from his days with the St. Louis Cardinals.
"I really like the way he threw," Black said. "The fastball really carried, and there was a hop to the fastball, even though the fastball, on a scouting scale, is just major league average.
"This guy can pitch. That's what I like. He can hold runners, field his position, all the things you look for in a very competent big-league pitcher."
