If the second half of the season goes as well as the first half did for Germán Márquez, the 2021 season could be the best of his six-year career. In his first 19 starts, Márquez went 8-6 with a 3.36 ERA, three complete games, and 114 strikeouts. Part two of his All-Star campaign begins tonight when the Rockies take on the Mariners for a two-game set at Coors Field.
The Rockies split their first two games against the Mariners in Seattle on June 22 and 23, including a 5-2 win when Márquez held the Mariners to one run on two hits (one homer) with seven strikeouts in eight innings.
The Rockies will face lefty Marco Gonzales (1-5, 5.88 ERA). Gonzales, the son of Colorado Rockies Double-A Hartford Yard Goats pitching coach Frank Gonzales, was born in Fort Collins and grew up a Rockies fan. The Seattle ace hasn’t had as much success so far this season as in previous years, but he’s also had two stints on the 10-day IL. He relies on five pitches, most heavily a sinker, followed by a changeup, curveball, cutter, and four-seam fastball.
The Rockies dugout and bullpen will continue to look different with Bud Black, Yency Almonte, Yonathan Daza, Antonio Senzatela, and Jhoulys Chacín all still out because of MLB COVID and contract tracing protocols. Raimel Tapia is also not in the lineup as he continues to suffer from a non-COVID illness. On Tuesday, Chris Owings was placed on the 10-day IL with a mallet finger injury to his left thumb and Connor Joe has been called up from Triple-A to make the start in left field.
First Pitch: 6:40 P.M. MDT
TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain; MLB.tv
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Lineups:
Two-game set in the Mile High City. #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/CgPCKNLVrf
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 20, 2021
Check out tonight's Rockies lineup with the All-Star on the hill! ⭐
— AT&T SportsNet™ | RM (@ATTSportsNetRM) July 20, 2021
Coverage begins at 6pm!@Rockies | #Rockies | @SouthwestAir pic.twitter.com/olWcHrAptG