Rockies pitcher Marquez scorches A’s, as early season woes evaporate
Jun 7, 2021, 6:33 AM
German Marquez’s 2021 campaign didn’t kick off the way he wanted, with early games against the mighty Dodgers and an inconsistent delivery, the Rockies’ ace found his earned-run average over six in early May.
“We recognized a number of starts ago that the tempo through his windup was a little fast and then sometimes a little slow,” manager Bud Black explained, after Marquez allowed only one run over six innings while striking out six to earn the win over the visiting, first-place A’s. “In bullpen sessions, we really worked on him getting a consistent tempo from the time he made his first move to the time he released the ball, both out of the windup and in the stretch. I think that had a big impact.”
Given that Marquez’s ERA has been a minuscule 1.89 over his last six starts, it’s safe to say that the bullpen work certainly didn’t hurt. Marquez’s early struggles seem to be in the rear-view mirror after his fourth-straight start allowing one or fewer runs and four or fewer hits in outings of at least six innings or more.
That’s one of the best such streaks in Rockies history; only Marquez and Jhoulys Chacin (in 2011) have ever reached four consecutive streaks of that quality. Marquez’s next chance to extend it should come on Saturday in Cincinnati.
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NEXT UP: Rockies (24-36, 4th in NL West) vs. Marlins (25-33, 4th in NL East) | Tuesday, Jun. 8 at 5:10 p.m. | COL: Antonio Senzatela (2-5, 4.47 ERA) vs. MIA: TBD.
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NOTES
• Daniel Bard’s two-inning save — his seventh of the season — was also his most impressive of the season. Bard threw scoreless eighth and ninth innings while allowing only two hits and struck out a pair of A’s.
• Charlie Blackmon will pass Hall-of-Famer Larry Walker for second place on the Rockies’ all-time hit list with only two more. Blackmon sits at 1,360 hits and hasn’t dealt with Coors Field’s effect on Rockies hitters away from Colorado; he’s hit slightly better on the road this season (.270) than at home (2.67).
• Jon Gray’s right forearm injury doesn’t appear to be serious after an MRI showed no damage that the Rockies are concerned about. Gray will accompany the team on their road trip this week and hopes to miss only one start. An impending free agent, Gray is expected to be a hot commodity in the trade market… assuming he’s healthy.
• Ben Bowden (1-2, 6.23 ERA) and RP Lucas Gilbreath (0-0-, 8.64 ERA) were both recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque in the wake of injuries to Jon Gray and Jordan Sheffield.
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THE FINAL WORD
“I’ve been working a lot on my mechanics. I’m getting the results. I feel happy about it.” — German Marquez
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STARTING LINEUP
LF Raimel Tapia
CF Yonathan Daza
RF Charlie Blackmon
2B Ryan McMahon
3B Joshua Fuentes
1B C.J. Cron
SS Brendan Rodgers
C Dom Nunez
SP German Marquez
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INJURY WATCH
• Jon Gray (strained right forearm) left his Jun. 4 start and was placed on the 10-day IL. A subsequent MRI showed no significant damage, and the Rockies hope that he will miss just one start.
• Jordan Sheffield (torn right lat) was injured on Jun. 3 and was placed on the 10-day IL. He is expected to miss at least two months.
• Trevor Story (arm tightness) was pulled from the second game of a doubleheader on May 27, but a follow-up MRI revealed nothing of concern. Story is eligible to return from the IL on Jun. 8.
• Ben Bowden (strained left shoulder) was placed on the 10-day IL on May 16. He was removed from the list and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Jun. 1.
• Chris Owings (left thumb surgery) was placed on the 60-day IL in mid-April and will likely be out until the All-Star break.
• Scott Oberg (blood clots) had surgery prior to the end of Spring Training. He was placed on the 60-day IL on Mar. 27 and his season is in doubt.
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Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan
