The bottom third of the Rockies’ order has not been very potent. That’s an understatement.
But it delivered big-time Wednesday night in Colorado’s 8-2 win over the floundering Marlins at Coors Field. No. 9 hole hitter Aaron Shunk, getting a rare start at second base, hit 2-for-3 and blasted the first homer of his career. The rookie entered the game hitting .148.
“That felt pretty good, I’ve been working really hard on my swing,” said Schunk, who had high hopes that the Rockies would be able to retrieve his home run baseball.
Schunk said he’s tried not to press when he does get playing time.
“I just want to go out there and play the way I always (have),” said Schunk, who is batting .259 with three extra-base hits in August after batting .115 in July. “It’s definitely a different role for me, but I’ve been learning, and I have a lot of good guys helping me.”
Rookie catcher Drew Romo, hitting eighth, went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He began the night batting .158.
And left fielder Nolan Jones, who had a .208 average coming in, hit 2-for-3 with a walk, delivering RBI singles in the third and sixth.
“When you play as many games as we do, obviously you want the big boys to produce over the course of six months,” manager Bud Black said. “In most cases, that’s what they are paid to do — to be producers of runs.
“But when you get contributions from the bottom of the order, it’s really nice, especially on the nights when other guys aren’t delivering. That’s how you win games. That’s how you win a lot of games, where you don’t just rely on the big boys.”
Miami’s vice Wednesday night came in the form of four ugly errors, which helped turn a close game into a Colorado cruiser. And shortstop Ezequiel Tovar ripped a two-run double to right-center in the eighth, ensuring the Marlins had no comeback plans. Tovar has 39 doubles.
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland did what Freeland does. Utilizing and effective changeup and a good inside fastball, he kept the Marlins off-balance for six innings and got big outs when needed.
For example, in the Marlins’ fifth inning, a one-out double by Connor Norby and an infield single by Jake Burger had Freeland in trouble. But he struck out Jonah Bride with a wicked slider and got Derek Hill to ground out to second.
It was a night of milestones for Freeland. The Denver native has now pitched 1,069 1/3 innings for the Rockies, surpassing Jeff Francis (1,066) for the third-most innings pitched in franchise history. His strikeout of Hill in the fourth inning was the 800th of his career, making him the fourth Colorado pitcher to reach that plateau.
Freeland scattered six hits, struck out five and walked only one. In eight starts at Coors Field, he owns a 3.74 ERA. He improved to 4-6 and earned the 59th win of his career, passing Jason Jennings for the fifth-most in franchise history.
“It’s awesome,” the 31-year-old lefty said about moving up the Colorado charts. “Obviously I’ve had a somewhat long career here as a Rockie and I’m starting to hit some of those milestones and I’m creeping up those leaderboards and I’m trying to nip at ‘Marquie’s’ (German Marquez’s) heels on a few of them.
“But it’s very special to know that I’m posted up with some of those guys I grew up watching, and loving to watch. So it’s really cool.”
After the Rockies’ epic ninth-inning collapse in a 9-8 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday night, they needed a drama-free performance from their bullpen.
Rookie right-hander Jeff Criswell delivered, pitching a scoreless seventh and eighth, striking out five and issuing a solo walk. Anthony Molina pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Marlins struck first on Hill’s leadoff homer in the second inning. He ripped Freeland’s first-pitch sinker 378 feet into the left-field bleachers.
The Rockies tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the frame. Brenton Doyle drew a leadoff walk from Max Meyer, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Jones’ single to right.
Miami’s sloppy defense led to Colorado’s 2-1 lead in the third. Romo led off with a bloop single and hustled to second when center fielder Cristian Pache misplayed the ball. Romo scored on Meyer’s throwing error on a pickoff attempt.
The Marlins tied the game, 2-2, in the fourth, combining a leadoff single from Jonah Bride, a two-out Otto Lopez and an RBI single by rookie Griffin Conine.
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Thursday’s pitching matchup
Marlins RHP Valente Bellozo (2-2, 3.35 ERA) at Rockies RHP Bradley Blalock (1-0, 3.06)
1:10 p.m. Thursday, Coors Field
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
Blalock, acquired via a trade with Milwaukee in exchange for reliever Nick Mears just before the trade deadline, will make his fourth career start. He’s coming off a strong showing at Yankee Stadium last Saturday when he notched his first big-league victory. He held the Yankees to two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five but also walked four. “There’s a lot to like,” manager Bud Black said. “Bigger picture, he’s got to locate that fastball a little better — like all young pitchers, in this day and age. But there are some weapons.”
Bellozo, 24, will make his eighth career start tomorrow, his fifth on the road, and his first against Colorado. He was hit hard in his last start against the Cubs, getting shelled for six runs on seven hits with five walks, one strikeout and three homers in just 4 2/3 innings. He owns a 1.61 ERA in four road games compared to a 5.87 ERA in three home starts.
Pitching probables
Friday: Orioles RHP Albert Suarez (6-4, 3.18) at Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (4-9, 4.70), 6:40 p.m.
Saturday: Orioles RHP Dean Kremer (6-9, 4.31) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-10, 4.95), 6:10 p.m.
