Rookie Arenado helps Rockies win
MIAMI -- On a day in which the Colorado Rockies started less than half their normal regulars, they found new heroes.
Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez was already hurt, and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was added to that list. In addition, the Rockies rested three other starters: catcher Wilin Rosario, first baseman Todd Helton and center fielder Dexter Fowler.
Fortunately for the Rockies, Nolan Arenado's run-scoring double in the sixth inning and a red-hot bullpen sparked them to a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park.
Arenado, a 22-year-old rookie from Newport Beach, Calif., also made a couple of standout fielding plays, including one that started a double play and got the Rockies out of a bases-loaded jam.
"Nolan had a huge game," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "That's why it's tough to give him a day off ever. You keep running him out there because he does stuff on defense to win you games.
"That double play was the game really, and then he made the big hit on top of that."
The Rockies finished their 10-game road trip at 4-6. But they took two out of three from the Marlins to win their first road series since July 10 at San Diego.
Miami finished a disappointing 3-7 homestand.
With two outs and the score tied 3-3 in the sixth, the Rockies regained the lead when Michael Cuddyer singled and Arenado doubled to left.
Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa (14-6) earned the win even though he lasted just five innings and allowed three runs. But, in De La Rosa's defense, he was pitching in severe pain.
"I felt like my thumb was going to come flying off with every pitch," De La Rosa said of an injury that has bothered him for two months. "I did the best I could for five innings."
The Rockies' bullpen was stellar. Adam Ottavino, Josh Outman, Wilton Lopez, Matt Belisle and Rex Brothers combined to pitch four scoreless innings. Brothers worked around two walks in the ninth to earn his 13th save.
Marlins starter Jacob Turner (3-5) took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings.
"It's frustrating that (our) team comes back to tie the game like that, and you let them go out and score," Turner said.
Colorado opened the scoring with three runs in the second. The rally was set up by Cuddyer's leadoff walk, a single by Arenado and a wild pitch. The Rockies cashed in with Ryan Wheeler's opposite-field RBI single to left, an error by second baseman Donovan Solano and a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Herrera.
The Marlins' Justin Ruggiano stroked an opposite-field solo homer to right in the bottom of the second. It was his 15th homer of the season, one behind team leader Giancarlo Stanton.
One inning later, Stanton nearly hit his own opposite-field solo homer to right, but the ball bounced high off the wall for a double, sparking a two-run rally.
After a passed ball by backup catcher Jordan Pacheco, Logan Morrison hit a run-scoring single, Ed Lucas walked, and Ruggiano added a single that tied the score 3-3.
Colorado got out of further trouble in the inning when, with the bases loaded and no outs, Arenado fielded Koyie Hill's grounder just to the foul side of the bag and threw to home in one motion to start a slick double play. Pacheco, the catcher, also deserves credit on the play for his quick throw to first.
"We had bases loaded and nobody out, and to not score a run killed us," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "The whole homestand, we didn't play well. We made a lot of mistakes that cost us games."
NOTES: Of Arenado's 43 RBIs this season, 23 have come with two outs. ... Tulowitzki sustained an injury to his left side in the rib area while swinging during his next-to-last at-bat Saturday night. He took one more at-bat Saturday but was held out of Sunday's lineup. "He's OK; he's a little sore," Weiss said. ... The Marlins rested two starters: C Jeff Mathis and CF Jake Marisnick. ... Helton, with his two singles Saturday, reached 2,496 hits for his career, which passed Mickey Vernon for 96th place on the all-time list. ... Marlins RHP Jose Fernandez is 7-0 at home this season. He leads the majors with a 1.29 home ERA. He has also been stellar in August at 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA. ... Stanton is tied for the major-league lead with most errors among right fielders (eight). ... Marlins RHP Steve Cishek has converted 23 consecutive saves. Entering Sunday, it was the third longest streak in the majors behind Craig Kimbrel (30) and Greg Holland (27). ... The Rockies are 36-27 at Coors Field and 25-44 on the road. The last time they had a winning road record was in 2009 (41-40). ... After the game, the Marlins optioned INF Gil Velazquez to Triple A. ... Next up, the Rockies open up a nine-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. ... The Marlins play the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, which starts a nine-game trip.
