Marlins can't solve Rockies bullpen in loss

Marlins can't solve Rockies bullpen in loss

Published Aug. 19, 2012 6:42 p.m. ET

DENVER (AP) -- The Colorado Rockies found a way to keep Giancarlo Stanton in the ballpark: They pitched around the Marlins slugger.

"They had a smart strategy," Miami manager Ozzie Guillen said. "A couple of times they didn't pitch to him and did a great job on him."

Stanton went homerless for the first time in seven games at Coors Field and Jordan Pacheco connected to lead Colorado to a 3-2 victory Sunday.

Stanton hit a three-run shot in Saturday night's 6-5 victory to become the first player in big league history to homer in his first six games in a particular park, the Marlins said, citing the Elias Sports Bureau.

He went 0 for 2 and walked twice in the series finale. He struck out against Adam Ottavino (5-1) and Matt Belisle got him to ground out to second.

Drew Pomeranz issued an intentional walk to Stanton in the first inning, then walked Donnie Murphy to load the bases. Stanton received another intentional walk in the fifth, loading the bases, and Ottavino struck out Murphy and retired John Buck to escape the threat.

"The guy behind him didn't do what he was supposed to do," Guillen said. "We had a lot of guys left on base."

The Marlins left nine on base in all. They left the bases loaded twice.

Stanton said the decision to pitch around him "made sense."

"There was an open base and Donnie Murphy has been out for a while," he said. "Why not give it a chance?"

Pacheco hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and finished with three hits for the depleted Rockies, who lost two more players during the game. Outfielder Eric Young Jr. left after one inning with a strain in his left rib cage and shortstop Josh Rutledge exited in the fifth with tightness in his left thigh.

Colorado put outfielder Michael Cuddyer back on the 15-day disabled list before the game after he aggravated a right oblique strain in Saturday's loss.

Ottavino tossed three scoreless innings and Rafael Betancourt pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.

Josh Johnson (7-10) lost his third consecutive start. He gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings.

"JJ pitched extremely well," Guillen said. "He was outstanding."

Colorado looked overmatched early but broke through in the fourth. Rutledge reached on an infield hit -- Colorado's first of the game -- and scored on Dexter Fowler's double.

Pacheco then went deep with two down to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead. It was his second homer of the year and first since May 17.

"I needed to make good pitches (in the fourth) and couldn't do it," Johnson said. "The pitch to Pacheco was a decent pitch, but got his hand in there and got it out."

Pomeranz allowed two runs and three hits in four innings. The key player in the trade that sent Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland last season, Pomeranz is 1-7 and has failed to pitch more than four innings in each of his last four starts.

The Marlins got to him early, scoring an unearned run in the first and loading the bases before Buck grounded out to end the threat.

Buck led off the fourth with his ninth home run to make it 2-0.

Ottavino allowed one hit and retired his final eight batters.

NOTES: The Marlins activated OF Emilio Bonifacio and INF Murphy from the 15-day DL. ... Guillen has not decided on the starting pitchers for Thursday's doubleheader at Arizona. ... Miami won the season series 4-3. ... The Marlins are 0-3-4 in four-game series this year. 

ADVERTISEMENT
share