Curtis Granderson hits first home run for Marlins in Game 2 loss to Rockies
MIAMI (AP) —Charlie Blackmon barely got his line drive into fair territory to give Colorado the lead. Ian Desmond barely got high enough to rob Lewis Brinson of a homer and preserve that lead.
For eight innings, the Rockies did just enough.
In the ninth, they busted out in a big way.
Blackmon had three hits and two RBIs, German Marquez struck out seven in six innings and Colorado scored four ninth-inning runs to cap a 6-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday night. Marquez (1-0) and three relievers combined to limit the Marlins to two hits.
"Overall, he pitched great," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "He got a feel for his breaking ball. The fastball had good carry and life all night."
Nolan Arenado and Tony Wolters each had two hits and an RBI for the Rockies. Marquez (1-0) allowed two hits and one run, and the Rockies have yielded only six hits in the season's first two games.
"Baseball is a mental game and you have to remain under control," Marquez said.
The four-run Rockies ninth disappointed the few fans that remained from the 6,503 paid attendance for Miami's second game of the season. Adam Conley (0-1), the second of five Miami pitchers, gave up two hits and the go-ahead run in the seventh.
Marlins starter Trevor Richards gave up four hits and one run in six innings. The four Miami relievers allowed seven hits and five runs in three innings, four of those runs getting charged to Sergio Romo.
"Early in the game I was kind of not throwing exactly how I wanted to," Richards said. "But I was able to settle in."
Curtis Granderson hit his first homer for Miami, which has four runs this season — all off solo homers. Brinson nearly tied it for Miami in the eighth, but his fly to nearly straightaway center field in cavernous Marlins Park was caught near the top of the wall by Desmond.
"I was able to get a good jump on it," Desmond said.
After that, the Marlins fell apart. Colorado's four runs in the ninth came on five hits, one of those hits awarded on a botched pop-up to short left and another coming on a misplayed liner to center.
The Marlins were hitless through three innings for the second straight day, until Granderson connected on his 333rd career home run to open the fourth. The Rockies tied it in the sixth, when David Dahl's rapidly decelerating grounder into right field was enough to allow Trevor Story — the recipient of a two-out walk one batter earlier — to score all the way from first.
And then Miami wasted big chances in its half of the sixth.
Miami went scoreless that inning despite getting an infield single by Rosell Herrera (after replay overturned the original out call), two walks, two wild pitches and one hit batter. Herrera was thrown out trying to steal second, one of two would-be swipers caught by Wolters on the night, and Starlin Castro grounded to short with the bases loaded to end the frame.
"We're better than this," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "I think our guys know it. You never know quite how you're going to get out of the box coming out of spring training."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies 1B Daniel Murphy was shaken up in the fourth inning, injuring his left hand as he sprawled to field a grounder. Murphy winced while being evaluated but stayed in the game.
STARTING FAST
This is the first time since 2009 that the Marlins have four home runs in the season's first two games.
4 FOR 4
This is a four-game series with four different first-pitch start times; it was 4:10 p.m. ET on Thursday and 7:10 on Friday, followed by 6:10 on Saturday and 1:10 on Sunday. Both teams are scheduled for only one more of those all season — the Miami at Washington series May 24-27, and the Colorado at St. Louis series Aug. 22-25.
UP NEXT
LHP Tyler Anderson (7-9, 4.55 in 2018) starts for Colorado against Miami RHP Pablo Lopez (2-4, 4.14 in 10 starts last season).
