Marlins 9, Rockies 8: A very ugly game leaves Rox floundering against Fish

The Rockies’ early four-run lead seemed to seal things early, but four errors and Ryan Feltner’s meltdown made for a brutal end to Colorado’s three-game win streak as they lost to the Marlins 9-8 in one of the rougher contests of the season.

Early offense

It was Miami starter Daniel Castano’s first appearance against the Rockies in his young career, and they welcomed him with base hits and runs scored against him. That began in the top of the second, when a C.J. Cron leadoff single and Brendan Rodgers walk put them in a good spot early. After Randal Grichuk struck out, Ryan McMahon walked to load the bases for José Iglesias, whose infield single scored a run and put the Rockies up 1-0.

The offense kept it going the next two innings. The third was capped off by Rodgers’ two-RBI double to make it 3-0, and McMahon’s fourth-inning homer - his sixth of the season - put things at 4-0 and put Colorado in the driver’s seat early on.

Feltner’s frightful fourth frame

Hoo boy.

The fourth inning started innocuously enough, with Jorge Soler singling to left field. Jesús Aguilar then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to erase both runners... except, wait, he didn’t, as home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor called catcher’s interference on Brian Serven, instead putting two runners on with no outs. Avisaíl García immediately made the error hurt, as he sent his fifth home run into straightaway center field to make it 4-3.

Jesús Sánchez, he who burnt Feltner in Denver when he clubbed a 496-foot moonshot, then struck for another home run to tie the game at 4-4. A few batters later, Jon Berti would knock in the Marlins’ fifth run of the inning and remove Feltner from the game. Feltner, after starting so strongly, ended up allowing five runs (four earned) in just 3 ²⁄₃ innings. That fourth frame is the first time Feltner has allowed a run after the third inning this season.

Fifth inning just as wild

The Rockies got one back in the top of the fifth to tie things, but it was not to last. In the bottom half, García stepped to the plate against reliever Jhoulys Chacín with a runner on first and one out. He grounded into what appeared to be a double play ball, but Iglesias bobbled and dropped the ball, allowing both runners to be safe. Afterwards, Sánchez singled to score another run, and the Marlins again led, now 6-5.

What followed was a play that I’m going to do my very best to describe to you:

Miguel Rojas singled to right, scoring García from second. Randal Grichuk threw the ball in but missed the cutoff man, allowing the runners to attempt to move up. Rojas got caught in a pickle between first and second, and while the Rockies infield ran him down and tagged him out, Sánchez scored as well. Afterwards, Miami manager Don Mattingly asked that a replay review of the tag play be conducted, to which the umpires found Rojas to, in fact, be safe. Two runs scored, and no out was recorded.

Just find the play online, I promise my words don’t do it justice.

The end of the madness

Much more happened this game - Colorado’s season-high four errors, McMahon’s great defensive gems, Iglesias fouling three consecutive pitches off of his own body - but this recap can only tell so many tales. Instead, we recant how the game ended.

Alex Colomé took the mound for the bottom of the eighth inning with the game tied at eight. He faced Nick Fortes, whose leadoff double put the go-ahead run in scoring position. After Berti lined out to deep right, moving Fortes to third, Garrett Cooper doubled to bring Fortes home and put Miami up 9-8.

That’s the first earned run Colomé has allowed since May 7th.

The Rockies did put the tying run on base in the top of the ninth, but could not score against Miami closer Tanner Scott. They finally fell 9-8 to finish the absolutely absurd contest.

Up Next

The Rockies and Marlins will play the second of their three games tomorrow. Chad Kuhl (4-4, 3.69 ERA) will start for Colorado, while Pablo López (4-3, 2.85 ERA) gets the ball for Miami.

First pitch is at 4:40pm MDT. See you then!