Colorado 10, Miami 5
When: 4:10 PM ET, Saturday, June 6, 2015
Where: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
Temperature:
72°
Umpires:
Home -
Tony Randazzo, 1B -
Mike DiMuro, 2B -
Will Little, 3B -
Phil Cuzzi
Attendance:
30373
By The Sports Xchange
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies scored early and often Saturday, handing the Miami Marlins too large a deficit to overcome.
The Rockies walloped the Marlins 10-5 thanks to a four-run first inning and a five-run fourth that put them comfortably ahead, 10-2.
Colorado first baseman Wilin Rosario hit two solo homers and right fielder Carlos Gonzalez belted a three-run shot as he continued climbing out of a prolonged slump.
The Rockies piled up a season-high 17 hits, including three apiece by Rosario, second baseman DJ LeMahieu and center fielder Charlie Blackmon. They inflicted most of their damage on Marlins starter David Phelps (2-3). He gave up a career-high 11 hits, six for extra bases, and a career-high-tying nine earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.
"I think I made three quality pitches all day, and it was on the first at-bat to Carlos Gonzalez (who struck out)," Phelps said. "I wasn't ahead of guys. I wasn't hitting my spots. I was up in the zone. I was down in the zone early for balls. It was just a terrible game. It happens. And when you have a bad time, you hope it's four or five runs and not nine."
Left-hander Chris Rusin (2-0) was the beneficiary of all Colorado's offense. He gave up two runs in seven innings while allowing seven hits and two walks and a striking out a career-high eight. Rusin became the first pitcher to fan Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton four times in one game.
"He's got deception. He's got command. He's got a feel for pitching," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "I think those three things are his greatest strengths. (He) knows how to put sequences together, finish an at-bat, get a ground ball when he needs it, elevate the ball when he needs to do that."
The Rockies tore into Phelps for five hits and four runs in the first, their most runs in that inning since they began the season with four runs at Milwaukee on Opening Day, April 6.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado tripled home two runs. Rosario brought in the third run with a single, and he scored on catcher Michael McKenry's first career triple. It was the first time the Rockies tripled twice in the first inning since April 27, 2012, against the New York Mets.
Gonzalez, who went 2-for-4, has multiple hits in consecutive games for the first time this season. While hitting safely in eight of his past nine games, Gonzalez is 13-for-31 (.387), raising his average from .201 to .239. He highlighted the fourth-inning uprising with his fifth homer, ending a homerless stretch of 69 at-bats since he last went deep May 16 at Dodger Stadium.
"I feel more myself," Gonzalez said. "Sometimes I get too excited, and I start swinging at everything. Other than that, when I slow the game down and when I swing at good pitches, I put the ball in play. That's how you get hits and extra-base hits."
Rosario followed Gonzalez's blast with his second homer of the game and fourth of the season. It was the first time the Rockies hit back-to-back home runs since Sept. 3, 2014, against the San Francisco Giants.
Rusin took the turn of injured Jordan Lyles, who is out with a season-ending toe injury. In three games, two starts, for the Rockies, Rusin has a 1.45 ERA. He pitched seven innings in both his starts.
With the Rockies leading 4-1 in the third, Rusin gave up a one-out triple to third baseman Martin Prado, but he struck out Stanton and retired first baseman Jeff Baker on a groundout.
"I just knew I had to minimize the damage," Rusin said. "I didn't want to give in to Stanton because I knew I had a base open. I didn't want him to hurt me. I ended up striking him out and knew I could get out of it if I made quality pitches to the guy after that, and I was able to do that."
Rusin likely will stay in the rotation, taking Lyles' spot, but he hasn't been told that and said he is not looking ahead. Instead, he will keep trying to go about h
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Miami
|
13 |
0 |
20 |
.325 |
20 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
Colorado
|
17 |
3 |
31 |
.425 |
17 |
5 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
1 |