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Rox blank Cubs behind dominant Marquez By Thomas Harding and Owen Perkins / MLB.com | May 10th, 2017 DENVER -- Rookie right-hander German Marquez held the Cubs hitless through six innings and scoreless on three hits

for eight, as the National League West-leading Rockies beat the Cubs, 3-0, at Coors Field on Wednesday afternoon to

win the three-game series.

Marquez, who established a fastball early then strategically used his curve and a little bit of a slider and change while

tallying eight strikeouts, silenced the Cubs on 99 pitches, 69 strikes, as the Rox improved to 22-13 -- the best record after

35 games in their history. The Cubs' Kris Bryant broke up the no-hitter with a double to the left-field corner to open the

seventh, but he didn't advance.

Marquez (1-2) -- ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the Rockies' No. 4 prospect -- entered with an 11.71 ERA in two home

starts, against the Nationals and the D-backs. But against the defending World Series champs, who have lost five of their

last six and hit .177 over that stretch, Marquez's performance resembled that of his April 30 outing at Arizona, when he

fanned eight in six scoreless innings of a no-decision.

"Right from the beginning -- when my fastball is located, everything is good," Marquez said.

"He had a really good hook, and it's really good against lefties," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Marquez. "It gets

underneath them well. Your best defense or offense against it is not to swing at it, but it's hard to lay off it. He had a good

fastball, mixed in some changeups. Command was good, command of his curveball was good, and his curveball was the

difference-maker."

MEDIA CLIPS –May 11, 2017

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A third baseman in Venezuela before a Rockies scout convinced him to pitch (he would sign with the Rays and eventually

come to the Rockies in a trade), Marquez added a two-run single -- his first Major League hit -- in the seventh off Carl

Edwards Jr.

In the series, the Rockies started three rookies -- Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and Marquez -- who posted a

combined 2.25 ERA.

The Rockies needed every bit of Marquez's acumen. Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks faced his biggest trouble in the fourth,

when Ian Desmond delivered a sacrifice fly with one out after Colorado loaded the bases. Hendricks then struck out Pat

Valaika to end the threat. Hendricks, who was responsible for the runners that Marquez drove in, was charged with three

runs (two earned) on four hits in 6 1/3 frames. He struck out seven.

"You saw the more awkward swings [against Kyle] today," Maddon said. "You saw the taken strike, the swing and miss,

so he was looking a lot more normal today than he has in a while, and especially here against this team. I thought he was

outstanding."

Greg Holland improved to 14-for-14 on save chances while completing the Rockies' third shutout this season and second

at Coors. The game was delayed by rain for 50 minutes before first pitch.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

CarGo lays out: Hendricks nearly ended the no-hit bid with a line drive to right with one out in the sixth. However, Carlos

Gonzalez dashed toward the foul line and robbed him with a 5-star catch, according to Statcast™. Gonzalez dashed 37

feet in 2.9 seconds -- an 18 percent Catch Probability. On Tuesday, Gonzalez also made a 5-star catch -- with a 5

percent Catch Probability -- on a Javier Baez drive during a victory in the first game of a doubleheader. More >

mazing grab

No fear: For all the early no-hit drama, Marquez made his biggest pitches after giving up one-out hits to Tommy La

Stella and Ben Zobrist in the eighth. He retired Willson Contreras on a roller too slow for a double-play turn, then

challenged Jon Jay with four fastballs -- the last 96.5 mph, which wasn't far off from his 97.9 top speed -- to end his

outing with a grounder to third.

"I said, 'This batter, I need to finish him,'" Marquez said. "The fans were loud, too. But I didn't get nervous. I had

adrenaline."

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QUOTABLE

"Efficient, throwing strikes, locating the fastball. For a young man against the world champions to do this, it was a pretty

special game." -- Rockies manager Bud Black, on Marquez

"The unlikely single by their pitcher on an 0-2 count. Wow. ... That guy can't hit. That's just one of those really non-

fortuitous moments. There's no way to describe it other than that." -- Maddon, on Marquez's two-run single

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Marquez became the sixth Rockies pitcher to take a no-hitter at least six innings at Coors Field. The others were Jorge

De La Rosa against the Padres on May 16, 2014 (Chris Denorfia broke it up); Jhoulys Chacin against the Giants on Aug.

28, 2013 (Brandon Crawford); John Thomson against the Pirates on May 2, 2002 (Armando Rios); Pedro Astacio against

the Giants on June 3, 2001 (Jeff Kent); and Astacio against the Padres on July 23, 2000 (Al Martin).

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: The Cubs travel to St. Louis after Thursday's off-day to start a three-game series on Friday at 7:15 p.m. CT.

Chicago is recalling right-hander Eddie Butler from Triple-A Iowa, where he is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA through five starts

spanning 30 2/3 innings, to make the start. The Cardinals will send Mike Leake to the hill. Leake is 9-5 with a 3.52 ERA in

23 starts against the Cubs.

Rockies: Lefty Tyler Anderson (2-3, 6.69 ERA), coming off his best start of the season in a win over the D-backs last

Saturday, will face the Dodgers and lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu on Thursday at 6:40 p.m. MT in Colorado.

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Statcast of the Day: Latest 5-star CarGo grab Second straight game Rockies right fielder has made such a catch By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 10th, 2017

DENVER -- Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez's 5-star catches are becoming a daily thing. And the one he made

Wednesday afternoon during a 3-0 win allowed rookie pitcher German Marquez to dream -- at least for a little.

Gonzalez ranged toward the foul line and laid out to grab a line drive from Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks. The catch,

according to Statcast™, had an 18 percentCatch Probability. He covered 37 feet in 2.9 seconds.

The catch was the second out of the sixth inning, when Marquez had not given up a hit, having allowed only a two-out

walk to Kyle Schwarber in the first at that point. Kris Bryant doubled to open the seventh, but Marquez ended up going

eight innings in the victory.

"That was when I started thinking about a no-hitter," Marquez said. "That play was really good."

Hendricks didn't know how close he came to a hit.

"I honestly didn't even see it off the bat," he said. "[Marquez] was throwing hard today. I thought I fouled that back.

[Gonzalez] made a hell of a catch there in right."

Gonzalez made a catch with a 5 percent Catch Probability during the Rockies' 10-4 victory over the Cubs in the first game

of a doubleheader on Tuesday, with Gonzalez traveling 41 feet in 2.9 seconds to snare Javier Baez's liner.

The highlight plays are falling into the glove of Gonzalez this year. Last year, according to Statcast™, he had 30 scenarios

where a 5-star catch was possible but came up empty. This year, he is 3-for-8.

It's a way to contribute for Gonzalez, a three-time All-Star who is struggling offensively with a .188 batting average.

"He's been playing great defensively," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "You watch CarGo play, he's playing the game

hard, which is what we ask. It's what we ask each other. It's what we ask from a coaching-staff perspective. He's running

balls hard down the line. He's playing good defense. And the hitting will come."

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Swing and a prayer for Marquez on 1st hit Rookie Rockies pitcher helps own cause with 2-run single on an 0-2 count By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 10th, 2017

DENVER -- Rockies rookie right-handed pitcher German Marquez will never forget his first Major League hit. Explaining

how he did it is another matter.

Marquez's two-run single on a two-strike pitch off Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr.was the big hit in a 3-0 victory -- which

also featured Marquez's eight-inning, three-hit, eight-strikeout pitching performance -- Wednesday afternoon at Coors

Field.

"I didn't look at that pitch," the Rockies' fourth-ranked prospect said. "I just swung."

Almost as intriguing as the hit off Edwards, who entered with an .091 opponents' batting average, was manager Bud

Black's decision to send Marquez up. There were two outs with runners at second and third and the Rockies were holding

just a one-run lead. Righty Adam Ottavino and lefty Jake McGee had warmed up in the bullpen.

"Here's a young man with 82 pitches, throwing a one-hit shutout, and we're going to take him out of the game?" Black

said. "Against a reliever, now, who has a 0.64 ERA, and has thrown 14 innings and given up four hits.

"So our guy off the bench obviously has a better chance to get a hit than Marquez. But if you think about it, I thought

Marquez had a good chance to put up a zero in the eighth inning, the way he was throwing the baseball."

Black was right. Marquez gave up two hits in the eighth, but finished the inning by forcing a Jon Jay grounder with

runners at second and third.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn't leave convinced to write in Marquez on his Silver Slugger Award ballot.

"Their pitcher should not get a two-run single on an 0-2 count," Maddon said. "That guy can't hit. That's just one of those

really non-fortuitous moments. There's no way to describe it other than that."

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Gray a Cub? Bryant on Rox? It was possible 2013 Draft could have gone a different way, but both players are happy with how it worked out By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 10th, 2017

DENVER -- Cubs star Kris Bryant and talented Rockies pitcher Jon Gray dressed in opposite clubhouses at Coors Field

this week, realizing they could easily be in opposite places. But neither player regrets where he ended up.

Up to the morning of the 2013 Draft, it was believed that the Astros would take Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with the first

overall pick, and that happened. But many mock drafts had Gray going No. 2 overall to the Cubs and Bryant to the

Rockies at No. 3.

"Yes, I was very aware of it -- it was here or, obviousl Gray a Cub? Bryant on Rox? It was possible 2013 Draft could have gone a different way, but both players are happy with how it worked out By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 10th, 2017

y, the Cubs," said Bryant, the 2013 collegiate player of the year out of the University of San Diego.

Gray, who was regularly reaching 100 mph on his fastball while pitching for the University of Oklahoma, was not quite as

aware of what was going to happen. Gray never considered himself star quality, even though he was drafted in the 13th

round by the Royals out of Chandler (Okla.) High School in 2010, and in the 10th round by the Yankees out of East

Oklahoma State College in 2011.

Gray could barely keep up with the hoopla. Some teams valued Gray over Appel, who hasn't reached the Majors yet and

was dealt to the Phillies in 2015. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein met with him, as did then-Rockies

general manager Dan O'Dowd. Many scouts and others were at the meetings.

"There were so many people involved, I didn't always know who, where or what," Gray said.

While many were speculating the Cubs had settled on Gray, Cubs senior vice president of player development and

amateur scouting Jason McLeod listened to USD head coach Rich Hill. Cubs national cross-checker Sam Hughes,

general manager Jed Hoyer and others in the organization all watched and talked to Bryant, and were swayed.

With Nolan Arenado establishing himself as a third baseman, the Rockies were considering moving Bryant to right field.

Knowing Bryant had played first base, the belief was he would be able to adjust quickly to the flight of the ball.

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"Yeah, I never even thought about that," said Bryant, who, coincidentally, made his 22nd and 23rd career appearances in

right on Tuesday during a doubleheader against the Rockies at Coors.

But the Rockies were just as happy to end up with Gray, a power starter they never thought they would have a chance to

select. Gray wasn't plugged in when word got out in Draft circles that he would be there for the Rockies.

"I knew the Cubs were really interested," he said. "If someone had asked me back then if I thought the Rockies would

have drafted me, I'd have said no. But it was a possibility. But I had no idea where I was going to show up. No matter

where I went, I was going to be happy.

"We were playing in NCAA Super Regionals and watching it as a team, live on TV. I learned as soon as everybody else

did. We had a bunch of prospects. Every time someone's name was called we were excited. It was a big day for a lot of

people."

Bryant won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2015, the NL Most Valuable Player Award in '16 and wore

that triumphant grin while making the final assist as the Cubs ended a 108-year World Series drought in Game 7 last year.

Things with Chicago have worked out for him.

Gray blossomed in the Majors last year and was the Rockies' Opening Day starter this year.

"I'm extremely happy how it turned out," he said. "I love Colorado, love the guys and love the challenge of Coors Field."

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Prospect Hoffman could start Saturday Ranked No. 2 in Rox system, right-hander made season debut Tuesday vs. Cubs By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 10th, 2017

DENVER -- Prospect Jeff Hoffman is "in the mix" to make a spot start on Saturday against the Dodgers, Rockies

manager Bud Black acknowledged on Wednesday.

Hoffman, ranked No. 2 in Colorado's system per MLBPipeline.com, went 2-2 with a 3.71 ERA in six starts at Triple-A

Albuquerque before being called up as the allotted 26th man for Tuesday's doubleheader nightcap against the Cubs. The

24-year-old right-hander threw the Rockies' final 1 1/3 innings, striking out two and giving up one hit -- a Kris

Bryant home run -- in Colorado's 8-1 loss.

Lefty long reliever Chris Rusin could also get the nod. Black said he could announce a decision as soon as after

Wednesday's game. The rainout on Monday and doubleheader on Tuesday left Saturday's start open.

Worth noting

• Rockies catcher Tony Wolters, who sustained a concussion last Wednesday, swung in the batting cage on Wednesday

-- his first baseball activity since the injury. Wolters is on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Black said he will discuss

with Wolters whether he will go to the Minors for game action before the team considers activating him.

"I feel like a baseball player, not doing things like sitting around, getting bored for the last days," said Wolters, who is

batting .346 through 17 games. "I can work on my craft and get better. There are no symptoms. I feel good, feel like a

normal human being. I'm ready to get out there."

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Coming off strong start, Anderson faces LA By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | May 10th, 2017

Left-hander Tyler Anderson will start for the Rockies on Thursday night against the Dodgers at Coors Field, and he hopes

to maintain the effectiveness he found in his last start.

In that outing last Saturday, he tied a career high with 10 strikeouts and held the D-backs to one run on six hits and a walk

in six innings. The D-backs just couldn't elevate the ball: Anderson held Arizona to two balls hit out of the infield, and

yielded two fly balls. Over his last two starts against the Dodgers, Anderson is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA, yielding fly-ball/line-

drive rates of 58.8 percent on April 9 and 41.2 percent on April 19.

The Dodgers will start lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is coming off the 10-day disabled list after suffering a left hip contusion.

Ryu struck out nine in his last start, but he has given up six home runs in 26 2/3 innings this season.

Three things to know about this game

• Ryu gave up two earned runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings in the Rockies' home opener -- after having made just one

start the previous two seasons.

• Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is 6-for-12 with two home runs, four RBIs and two strikeouts against Ryu.

• The Dodgers' Justin Turner is even more of a tormentor of Anderson -- 7-for-12 (.583) with two doubles, one home run,

four RBIs, one walk and no strikeouts.

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German Marquez flirts with no-hitter as Rockies blank Cubs 3-0, take series Márquez was the fifth Rockies pitcher to throw at least six no-hit innings at Coors Field By Patrick Saunders / Denver Post | May 10th, 2017

Rockies rookie German Marquez felt good when he struck out Chicago Cubs right fielder Jon Jay with an 83 mph

curveball to open Wednesday’s game.

The 22-year-old right-hander felt even better when Miguel Montero took a seat after blinking at Marquez’s 98 mph fastball

for a third strike to open the second inning. At the point, Marquez had a tiny inkling he was in for a special day.

Colorado manager Bud Black was certain of it.

“What a great, outstanding, well-pitched game, ” Black said after Marquez pitched eight scoreless innings in Colorado’s 3-

0 victory at a gray-and-chilly Coors Field. “Right from the get-go, there was life to German’s fastball, and his curveball was

consistent all game long. He used his changeup and even mixed in some sliders. It was an excellent four-pitch mix.”

Behind solid pitching, the Rockies took two of three games from the defending World Series champions to win their fourth

consecutive series and improve to 22-13, their best start in franchise history through 35 games.

Rockies pitchers have posted a 2.80 ERA over their last eight games, holding opposing hitters to a .192 average. Solid

pitching has been trending for Colorado, but it spiked Wednesday when Marquez threw six no-hit innings. He ended up

allowing three hits and tying a career high with eight strikeouts.

Marquez’s family scrapbook will be packed with highlights from May 10, 2017, not only because he dominated the Cubs

but because he carried his teammates with his bat. With the Rockies leading 1-0 in the seventh, Marquez came through

with the game’s clutch hit. With two outs and facing an 0-2 count, Marquez singled off reliever Carl Edwards Jr. to drive in

Mark Reynolds and Pat Valaika. It was the first hit of Marquez’s career as well as his first two RBIs.

“I didn’t really see the ball. … I just swung hard,” Marquez said, offering a wall-to-wall smile.

Black could have chosen to replace Marquez with a pinch-hitter. Instead, the manager stuck with his starting pitcher and

hit the jackpot.

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“Here was a young man, at 82 pitches, throwing a one-hitter, and I’m going to take him out of the game?” Black asked,

rhetorically.

Greg Holland closed out the game in the ninth, notching his 14th save in 14 chances.

Although a large percentage of the Coors Field crowd of 35,213 wore Cubs blue, there was a definite buzz about

Marquez’s stuff when he retired 12 of the first 13 hitters he faced, allowing only a two-out walk to Kyle Schwarber in the

first.

By the end of the fifth, Marquez, making only his 10th big-league start, allowed himself to start thinking about history. And

when Carlos Gonzalez made a diving catch of Chicago starter Kyle Hendrick’s sinking line drive to right field for the

second out of the sixth inning, dreams of a no-hitter started dancing in Marquez’s head.

“That’s when I really started thinking about it,” Marquez said. “That play was really good.”

In the end, Marquez didn’t pitch the second no-hitter in Coors Field history; reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant

broke up the party with solid leadoff double to left field in the seventh.

“He was so good today. His fastball and curveball command was at its best,” said fellow rookie right-hander Antonio

Senzatela, Marquez’s good friend and fellow Venezuelan. “I thought he might get the no-hitter when CarGo made that

catch, because you get plays like that in no-hitters.”

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Márquez was the fifth Rockies pitcher to throw at least six no-hit innings at Coors

Field.

The Rockies eked out a run in the fourth off Hendricks without ever hitting the ball hard. Nolan Arenado chopped an infield

single to second baseman Tommy La Stella. Gonzalez hit a grounder to shortstop Javier Baez for what looked like a

potential double play, but Baez booted the ball. Reynolds drew a walk off Hendricks to load the bases, setting the table for

Ian Desmond’s sacrifice fly to center, scoring Arenado.

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Rockies’ rookie rotation trio drives them again, this time to a series win over Cubs Colorado has the youngest rotation in baseball, averaging 24.2 years old. By Nick Groke / Denver Post | May 10th, 2017

The royal blue bombardment in the stands at rainy Coors Field this week did not much worry the brain trust on the

Rockies bench. But the Cubs did. The World Series champions have a dangerous lineup, top to bottom. And everybody

loves hitting in Denver.

The worry was on the mound. Colorado manager Bud Black wrote out three lineup cards with rookie pitchers at the

bottom this week. Two 22-year-olds and another just 23. Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez seemed

like raw meat to the wolves in Kris Bryant and Miguel Montero jerseys.

But as the Rockies walked away with a delayed but successful series victory over the Cubs, after Marquez threw eight

shutout innings Wednesday, the rookie engine of the Rox rotation is humming.

“I’ll go back to the middle of spring training, after I met all these guys. What I learned really quick is, these guys have

been well-prepared,” Black said. “These guys have been taught well.”

In 20 innings against the Cubs, the Rockies rookie pitchers allowed just five earned runs. Behind Senzatela (5-1),

Colorado routed Chicago 10-4 Tuesday afternoon. With Freeland (3-2), they lost 8-1 in a doubleheader nightcap. Marquez

(1-2) led them to a 3-0 victory Wednesday.

As a whole, including 27-year-olds Tyler Chatwood, a right-hander, and Tyler Anderson, a lefty, the Rockies rotation is

streaking. They have a 2.63 ERA in the past eight games. Opposing teams are hitting just .192 off the Rox.

Colorado has the youngest rotation in baseball, averaging 24.2 years old. But collectively, Colorado’s rookie arms are 9-5

over 19 games with a 3.33 ERA.

“The performances that they’re showing now, is it surprising? In some ways, yes,” Black said. “But in a lot of ways, no.

These guys are talented.”

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By park-adjusted ERA-plus, where 100 is the league average, Senzatela (177) and Freeland (173) are among the best

young pitchers in baseball. Marquez, an in-season call-up from Triple-A to replace Jon Gray (broken foot), is quickly

catching up.

“The way I see them working in the ‘pen — which is really when you get better — is very productive,” veteran catcher

Ryan Hanigan said. “They’re not just out there doing a few of these and a few of those (ideas). They’re really working on

stuff. And they’re translating it into games.

“They’re going to hit bumps in the road,” Hanigan added. “But the direction everyone is going right now is definitely

positive.”

Start open. The first-place Rockies and Dodgers, two games back before a late game Wednesday, open a four-game

series Thursday at Coors Field with roles to fill. Neither team has settled on a Saturday starter. The Dodgers are dealing

with injuries. The Rockies got in a bind after Monday’s rainout led to Tuesday’s doubleheader.

Saturday’s start is Senzatela’s turn in the rotation. But he can’t go on four days rest. So Black is deciding on a

replacement. Long reliever Chris Rusin is a possibility, as is minor-league starter Jeff Hoffman.

Wolters’ health improving. Catcher Tony Wolters (head injury) took swings in a batting cage Wednesday for the first

time since going on the seven-day concussion protocol list last Wednesday. He is eligible to return Thursday, but will likely

need more time. “I feel like a baseball player, after not doing things like sitting around, getting bored for the last three or

four days,” he said.

Footnotes. Closer Greg Holland threw a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts for his major-league best 14th save. He

remains perfect in save situations… The Cubs were shutout for the second time this season… Shortstop Trevor Story sat

Wednesday for rest, Black said, in a day game after Tuesday’s night game… Carlos Gonzalez, who made an impressive

diving catch in the sixth inning, went 0-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts, dropping his average to .188.

Looking ahead

Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-4, 4.05 ERA) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (2-3. 6.69), Thursday 6:40 p.m., ROOT

TV, 850-AM

Anderson pitched his best game of the season earlier this week when the 27-year-old left-hander struck out 10 over six

innings in a win over the Diamondbacks at Coors Field. His strikeout total matched a career high. Still more: Only two

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balls reached the outfield grass against him. In his previous six starts this season, Anderson gave up nine home runs. He

will try to continue the turnaround against a Dodgers team he faced twice already this season, home and away, allowing

seven runs on nine hits in 10 total innings.

Friday: Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (5-2, 2.40) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (3-4, 4.74), 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Saturday: Dodgers and Rockies pitchers TBA, 6:40 p.m., ROOT

Sunday: Dodgers at Rockies, 1:10 p.m., ROOT

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Veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan guides another young Rockies pitcher to a win The Rockies improved to 4-0 this season with Hanigan, who was called up from AAA on May 3, behind the dish By Kyle Newman / Denver Post | May 10th, 2017

As Germán Márquez was turning in the most impressive outing of his big league career en route to the Rockies’ 3-0 win

over Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan couldn’t help but notice the maturity of the 22-

year-old rookie.

Márquez looked calm, cool and collected while throwing eight innings of three-hit, shutout ball. It was a refined version of

the pitcher that Hanigan, who was called up on May 3, had worked with at AAA Albuquerque.

“He wasn’t trying to overthrow his off-speed — he wasn’t flipping them in there but they had good bite, and they were

pinpointed and in control,” Hanigan said. “And all his pitches were competitive — even the balls in the dirt made the hitter

think and weren’t wasted pitches. That’s why he was able to go so long and be so efficient.”

Hanigan also noted Márquez’s ability to work out of jams in the seventh and eighth innings by being selective and

effective with his slider and changeup.

“Guys have to respect 95 (miles per hour), and when you’re able to get ahead in the count or back in the count with off-

speed, then they’re in-between — that’s where we wanted some of those guys,” Hanigan said. “We had a little bit of

shaking (off signs), but we had good tempo today. I understood what he was doing and he followed me as well, and when

he shook, I was confident in what he wanted to do.”

Hanigan, who previously played for the Reds, Rays and Red Sox, provides a veteran presence for a rotation that is the

youngest in baseball. He’s been sharing time with back-up Dustin Garneau in the wake of starter Tony Wolters’

concussion suffered on May 2.

The Rockies are 4-0 with Hanigan in the lineup. The 36-year-old journeyman has also been on the receiving end of wins

by Kyle Freeland on May 4 in San Diego, Tyler Anderson on May 6 against Arizona and Antonio Senzatela in the first half

of Tuesday’s doubleheader.

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The veteran said he’ll continue to place a premium on working with the staff in bullpen sessions, where he believes

their biggest gains can be made.

“I try to catch all their pens so I can get a feel for where these guys are at, and I try to give them one or two tips I think will

help them in-game if their mechanics get off or they get a little wound up,” Hanigan said. “Obviously, Márquez didn’t have

too much of that today.”

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Kiszla: The secret of the best start in Rockies history? Start with the Jedi mind tricks of Bud Black. If Black can steal five victories, the Rockies will make the playoffs. By Mark Kiszla / Denver Post | May 10th, 2017

With starting pitchers so young they can’t buy a six-pack of beer without getting carded, our cuddly Pet Rocks have

fashioned a very fashionable 22-13 record, the best start in franchise history.

How to explain all the happy noise in LoDo? Don’t know about you, but I figure manager Bud Black must be: A) counting

cards, B) performing Jedi mind tricks or C) cutting a deal with the devil.

After the Rockies beat the Chicago Cubbies 3-0 between dodging raindrops Wednesday, I went down to the Colorado

clubhouse, primarily to check if Black’s ears were burning. Why?

Like all major-league managers, Black gets second-guessed. Every game. And in the bottom of the seventh inning, with

the Rockies clinging to a one-run lead, Black let pitcher German Marquez hit with two outs and two runners in scoring

position.

Before Marquez could dig in his cleats and eye Chicago reliever Carl Edwards Jr., a heated debate broke out in the Coors

Field press box between me and Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post’s baseball savant I affectionately call “The Genius.”

“Mr. Saunders and I were having an active discussion … ” I confessed to Black, politely inquiring what the heck he was

thinking to let Marquez, a rookie without a major-league hit, pick up a bat in a high-leverage situation.

“Hey, listen,” interrupted Black, “you don’t think I talk about that?”

He added that just like fans sitting in the Rockpile as they second-guess the manager, there is sometimes a lively baseball

debate in the Colorado dugout about strategy.

Yes, Marquez had dazed and confused the Cubs with his wicked curveball, striking out seven through six innings, and

carrying a no-hitter into the seventh, until reigning National League MVP Kris Bryant ended the bid for a no-no with a

double. But the decision to let Marquez bat in the bottom on the seventh, with Colorado ahead 1-0, seemed based more

on sentimentality than sabermetrics.

So what was going through Black’s mind?

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“You see,” I explained to Black, “Patrick thought you were crazy.”

“I did not!” insisted Saunders, his voice rising an octave in 1.2 seconds to a mezzo-soprano, making his protest sound as

sweet as a song by Beyonce.

Thinking back to his 1,362 games in the dugout over nine seasons as a manager in San Diego, Black said: “There was a

writer who asked me every night: ‘What was your toughest decision of the day?’ ”

Was choosing to let Marquez to hit in the rubber match of a three-game series against the defending world champions the

hardest choice for Black on a gray spring afternoon?

“That was it,” Black admitted. “Here was a young man with 82 pitches, throwing a one-hit shutout, right? And we’re going

to take him out of the game?”

But the decision was not made in order to give an avuncular pat on the back to Marquez for a job well done on the mound,

even though he had to take his cuts “against a reliever who has a 0.64 ERA and has thrown 14 innings and has given up

four hits,” said Black, quoting statistics at his fingertips in the dugout.

The manager knew any pinch hitter on the Colorado bench might well be overmatched against Edwards. But, far more

important, “I thought Marquez had a good chance to put up a zero in the eighth inning,” Black said.

And you know what? Down 0-2 in the count, Marquez said he closed his eyes, swung hard and laced a single that drove

in two insurance runs.

“It was huge. That was big time,” Rockies catcher Ryan Hanigan said. “I don’t know how he got to that ball. Over his head.

Tomahawk swing.”

Can I make a little confession? Saunders actually agreed with Black’s decision to stick with Marquez. Maybe the skipper

and the genius will both teach me a little something about baseball as the summer wears on.

There are at least 22 good reasons the Rockies have won 22 games, including a lights-out bullpen that has allowed the

team to go 20-0 when leading after seven innings. But maybe no reason for Colorado’s fast start is more important than

this:

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Every button Black pushes seems to result in fireworks.

If Black can steal five victories, the Rockies will make the playoffs.

Don’t bet against him.

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Colorado Rockies pitcher Germán Márquez breaks out with dominant performance against Cubs The 22-year-old right-hander pitched eight shutout innings in a 3-0 win over Chicago. By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | May 11th, 2017

DENVER — Colorado Rockies pitcher Germán Márquez announced his presence with authority with a dominant

performance in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs Wednesday at Coors Field.

“When my fastball is located, everything is good,” Marquez said.

Márquez pitched eight shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out eight. He threw 99 pitches, 69 for

strikes and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

“I think you saw life to the fastball, the breaking ball was consistent all game long,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.

The fastball that topped out at 98 mph was Márquez’s bread and butter throughout the game, and he supplemented it with

a curveball that dipped as low as 76 on the radar gun and induced seven swings and misses. Márquez also added in a

few changeups and sliders along the way.

“Guys have to respect 95,” Rockies catcher Ryan Hanigan said. “When you’re able to get ahead with a curveball, then

they’re kind of in between and that’s what we wanted.”

With the Rockies leading 1-0 and with Márquez’s no-hit bid still intact in the sixth, Rockies right fielder Carlos

González made a spectacular diving catch on a sinking liner from Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, preventing extra bases

and keeping the no-no alive.

“Great catch, right?” Black said. “He’s been playing great defensively.”

Hanigan, a 36-year-old who has caught two no-hitters in his big league career, said that a third wasn’t on his mind quite

yet when González made his catch in the sixth.

“I don’t worry about that until we get into about the eighth inning, we’re just trying to win the game,” Hanigan said.

Márquez, on the other hand, said a possible no-hitter had crossed his mind by that point in the game.

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“I thought about a no-hitter (starting in) about the fifth,” Márquez said.

Márquez’s no-hit bid ended in the seventh when Kris Bryant led off the inning by lining a 2-0 changeup from Márquez

into left field for a double. He did not get past second, however, as Marquez got two ground ball outs sandwiched around

a strikeout of Jeimer Candelario to get out of the inning with a 1-0 lead.

“That was big,” Black said. “Watching Germán and watching his actions led me to believe that there were still a lot of outs

left in his arm, he was in a good spot mentally, that didn’t bother him, he was fine.”

Perhaps the biggest moment of the game came in the bottom of the seventh. With men on second and third and two outs,

Black elected to let Márquez bat for himself against Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr., who had been dominant early in the

season.

“I thought Márquez had a good chance to put up a zero in the eighth inning the way he was throwing the baseball,” Black

said. “I thought the zero was more important than the odds against a pinch hit against a guy with a 0.64 ERA, who has

given up four hits in 14 innings.”

Márquez came through at the plate, knocking an 0-2 offering from Edwards Jr. into left field for his first career hit and

RBIs, his two-run single giving the Rockies a 3-0 lead.

“I didn’t look at that pitch, just swung,” Márquez said.

Black’s faith in Márquez was rewarded in the eighth, as the rookie stranded a pair of Cubs in scoring position after giving

up back-to-back singles. Greg Holland then entered the game in the ninth, retiring the Cubs in order to earn his 14th save

of the season.

“That’s how you draw it up,” Hanigan said. “Get him through eight, get to your closer, game over.”

The win gave the Rockies their fourth straight series victory and brought their record to 22-13, which represents the best

35-game start in franchise history. They have a 1 1⁄2 game lead in the NL West over the Dodgers, who come to Coors

Field Thursday to begin a four-game series. The series against Los Angeles will be another test for the Rockies, and it

begins with Tyler Anderson looking for a repeat of his last start against the Diamondbacks as he takes on Hyun-jin Ryu.

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Rockies, Bud Black acknowledges possibility of batting Carlos Gonzalez lower in the lineup CarGo’s continued struggles may have some lineup ramification By Ryan Schoppe and Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | May 11th, 2017

DENVER — Carlos Gonzalez’s struggles this season have been well-documented. Whether it is due to age, or just one

of his usual slumps, his issues at the plate this spring have lasted long enough that the Rockies may be considering

moving him down in the lineup.

During today’s meeting with the press, Rockies manager Bud Black said that he would consider moving Gonzalez down

in the lineup if the struggles continue.

“That could happen,” Black said. “That potentially could happen. But that would probably be one or two spots at the most.

It could be one or two spots.”

Black said that with injuries to other key position players like David Dahl and Tom Murphy, the farthest he could see

moving Gonzalez down is to the sixth spot in the order.

“If you look at the bottom of the lineup that we’ve had, you’re not going to move those guys ahead of him,” Black said.

Despite the struggles in his recent at-bats, Black thought he was seeing some signs of hope that Gonzalez was about to

break out of the slump.

Hopefully, a move down in the lineup can reduce some of the pressure on him to drive in runs and let his productions

bounce back to the levels that we’ve come to expect from a healthy CarGo.

If they do move Gonzalez down in the lineup, the Rockies have an obvious replacement for the cleanup spot in Mark

Reynolds who has been on fire this season. Ian Desmond could move up a spot as well.

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Colorado Rockies: Carlos Gonzalez may move down in the batting order By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | May 11th, 2017

Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies enters Thursday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors

Field batting .188 for the season. Still trying to snap out of a season-long funk, Gonzalez could be moved down in the

lineup, Colorado manager Bud Black acknowledged on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters before the Rockies took the second of a three-game series from the defending World Champion

Chicago Cubs, Black acknowledged that Gonzalez could be moved down “one or two spots” in the lineup.

“That could happen. That potentially could happen,” Black told Rox Pile and other reporters on Wednesday. “But that

would probably be one or two spots at the most. It could be one or two spots. Then you think about grouping a bunch of

right-hander hitters together and then maybe there’s a lefty in there. You think about the bullpen component against you

and how certain matchups might not be favorable for you.

So far this season, Gonzalez has only batted in the third or fourth spot in the lineup. In the cleanup position, CarGo is

hitting .174. Additionally, he’s hitting .111 this season with runners in scoring position.

In 24 at-bats in the month of May, Gonzalez is hitting just .083. He hasn’t had more than one hit in a game since an April

28 game at Arizona.

Here’s a potential lineup with CarGo shifting down as far as sixth…

Charlie Blackmon CF

DJ LeMahieu 2B

Nolan Arenado 3B

Ian Desmond LF

Mark Reynolds 1B

Carlos Gonzalez RF

Trevor Story SS

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Dustin Garneau/Ryan Hanigan C

Pitcher

The problem with this lineup is that both CarGo and Story (hitting just .180 this season) are in slumps, so you’d be pairing

two struggling Rockies together.

It’s more logical that CarGo could bat fifth. Take a look at this possibility…

Charlie Blackmon CF

DJ LeMahieu 2B

Nolan Arenado 3B

Mark Reynolds 1B

Carlos Gonzalez RF

Ian Desmond LF

Trevor Story SS

Dustin Garneau/Ryan Hanigan C

Pitcher

Not only does this push the red-hot Reynolds into the meat of the order, but Desmond between CarGo and Story gives

some consistency at the plate (given the duo’s current struggles). By the way, Reynolds is batting .259 in the cleanup spot

this season in 27 at-bats.

There’s even a thought out there right now on PurpleRow.com that Blackmon and LeMahieu could improve the Colorado

lineup by switching places at the top of the order. You can read that argument here.

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Colorado Rockies should move into top five of MLB Power Rankings By Ben Macaluso / Rox Pile | May 11th, 2017

After the Colorado Rockies series against the Chicago Cubs, it’s time to reevaluate the MLB.com Power Rankings.

The Rockies were able to dominate the defending champs in two out of the three game series.

They did this without three of their top pitchers in Jon Gray, Tyler Chatwood and Tyler Anderson. They did this without

both of their starting catchers. They did it with talent that hadn’t pitched in the majors until a month ago. The Rockies are

winning by any means necessary and they are earning the right to be called one of the best teams in baseball.

Before the series with the Cubs, the Rockies were ranked sixth in the MLB.com Power Rankings. There is no doubt that

the Washington Nationals deserve to be number one. The Rockies proved they have a long way to go to compete for the

title of best team in the league based on the four game series at the end of April with the Nats.

The team ahead of the Rockies in the rankings though is the Cleveland Indians at number five. The Indians are sitting at a

record of 18-15 in a weak AL Central division. Their starting pitching hasn’t matched last year’s performance but their

bullpen is still very strong. The Rockies have earned to switch spots with the Indians. The Rox should be compared more

favorably to the number four team on the list, the Baltimore Orioles who are tied for first in their division with the Yankees.

The series against the Cubs showed that the Rockies can compete with the best in the National League after a deflating

series against the Nats. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after the series in Denver that his team has gotten off to a slow

start because of fatigue and schedule. Maddon may have a point, especially in the series against the Rockies.

The Cubs came to Denver after a Sunday Night Baseball game against the Yankees (another premiere team) where they

lost a one run game in 18 innings. Only to meet a hail delay that led to a double header.

In those conditions it’s hard to win any games. But the reason the Rockies series win against the Cubs was impressive is

because they gave the Rockies faithful (that was drowned out by Cubs fans) a reason to think this team was built to last.

It is arguable that the Rockies caught the injury bug worse than any other team in the league. It’s the backups on this

team that are giving this team a chance. Mark Reynolds, Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez (who defied the physics of

Denver baseball and had a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Coors Field) and even Dustin Garneau are stepping up

when the team needs them most.

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It doesn’t get any easier from here. If the Rockies have a bad series against the Dodgers, Los Angeles will already be

back in first place. The Rockies are off to the best start in franchise history at 22-13. That’s all it is though, a start. They

are doing what good teams do though and win by adopting the next-man-up principle. Their 4.31 relatively good ERA

doesn’t hurt either. While this team still has much to prove, they have shown they are deserving to at least be in the top

five clubs in baseball.

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Colorado Rockies: German Marquez loses no-hit bid, shows mettle By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | May 11th, 2017

German Marquez of the Colorado Rockies flirted with immortality on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field. However, the

reigning National League MVP played the role of spoiler.

That’s one of the few disappointing moments on the day for Marquez. In what will be a day he’ll long remember, he not

only held the Chicago Cubs scoreless for eight innings but also drove in a pair of runs in Colorado’s 3-0 victory.

It was not only his best start of his young career but his two-run single off Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr. also

represented his first-ever Major League hit and RBI.

Work on a no-hitter and be the main generator of offense against the defending World Champions? Have a day, Mr.

Marquez.

In just his 10th Major League game and seventh MLB start, the 22-year-old right-hander retired 16 consecutive Chicago

Cubs during one stretch, taking a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of Wednesday’s matinee in Denver. Kris

Bryant ended the no-hitter with a double down the left field line. It sucked the no-hit buzz out of LoDo but what happened

next also showed a lot about Marquez.

With Bryant at second, Marquez got Kyle Schwarber to ground back to the mound for an easy out, struck out Jeimer

Candelario and saw Miguel Montero ground out to DJ LeMahieu to end the inning.

Marquez could’ve wilted with the no-hitter gone and a runner standing on second in a 1-0 game. Instead, he simply relied

on the pitching that had benefitted him so much in the game’s early stages.

The same could’ve happened in the eighth when consecutive singles gave the massive amount of Cubs fans in

attendance something to cheer about. However, with runners at second and third and two outs, Marquez worked Jon

Jay into a bad count and got him to hit an inning-ending grounder to Nolan Arenado.

A curveball that had more break than we had seen all season. A fastball that was well placed when needed. Control that

saw Marquez walk only one batter, a first-inning free pass to Schwarber that kept the conversation about a perfect game

out of the equation.

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What was the final line for Marquez? Eight innings pitched (a career high), three hits allowed, one walk and a career-high-

tying eight strikeouts.

So how special was Wednesday? According to Elias, Marquez was the fifth Rockies pitcher (and the sixth time overall) to

toss at least six no-hit innings at Coors Field. All have happened since 2000, with Jorge De La Rosa last notching the

feat on May 16, 2014.

But those were other pitchers and other years. Today was about Marquez and a Rockies team that, for the third

consecutive series dating back to last season, took two of three games from the Cubs.

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Colorado Rockies facing quick decision regarding Tony Wolters By Kevin Henry / Rox Pile | May 11th, 2017

The Colorado Rockies have a decision to make over the next day or two regarding catcher Tony Wolters.

Wolters went on the concussion seven-day disabled list last Wednesday (May 3) after taking a bat to the head against the

San Diego Padres. Now that the seven-day window is over, Colorado manager Bud Black says there is discussion

happening on what to do with the 24-year-old Wolters.

“Nothing definitive. We’re going to talk today probably at length about this situation as it relates to Tony,” Black said. “I

think he’s able to be activated today. Whether it’s good for Tony to go play a game or two or just activate him, we’re going

to talk a little more at length today.”

Whatever the Rockies decide to do with Wolters will ultimately affect their entire catching corps. The Rockies are currently

carrying two catchers on the active roster in veteran Ryan Hanigan and 29-year-old Dustin Garneau. One of the two will

likely be sent to Triple-A Albuquerque when Wolters is activated.

Garneau has been with the team the entire season, starting the year on the Opening Day roster. He’s hitting .226 with one

homer and six RBI. After a slow start, Garneau has started to show signs of life in May, posting a .313 average.

Additionally, after striking out 19 times in April, he has whiffed just three times in 16 May at-bats.

The 36-year-old Hanigan has made the most of his short time with the Rockies. He was signed by Colorado to a minor

league deal after hitting .386 with the Philadelphia Phillies in spring training. He was called up from Triple-A when Wolters

suffered the concussion and has hit .462 with a homer and six RBI in just 13 at-bats.

Hanigan’s lone homer came in his Rockies debut in the seventh inning against San Diego on May 4. He added the game-

winning single in the 11th inning to push the Rockies to a 3-2 win at Petco Park.

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German Marquez shines as Rockies take series over the Cubs By Aniello Piro / Mile High Sports | May 10, 2017

The Colorado Rockies sent three rookies to the mound in their three-game series with the defending World Series

Champion Chicago Cubs, with the best outing coming from the newest addition to the rotation: 22-year-old German

Marquez.

Marquez took the mound Wednesday afternoon following a 50-minute rain delay; however, the waiting game did not get to

him as he managed to dominate from start to finish en route to the Rockies 3-0 victory over the Cubs.

Marquez logged eight innings, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out eight batters. The eight innings he

pitched were a career high, while his eight punchouts tied a career best.

All afternoon long Marquez kept Cubs hitters off balance with his electric changeup and other offspeed pitches mixed with

his powerful fastball.

Marquez had started four games previously for the Rockies, compiling an ERA of 7.31 in that span. The fifth start was far

and above Marquez’s best start of the season for the Rockies since he was called up at the tail end of April.

Marquez will likely next start when the team travels to Minnesota to take on the Twins.

The Rockies have now won four straight series.

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Local sports and media stars hit home runs for stroke awareness By Alissa Noe / Mile High Sports | May 10, 2017

Prior to the start of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, the Colorado Rockies hosted a slew of local

celebrities for the UCHealth Healthy Swings Home Run Derby to raise money for the National Stroke Association.

“We saw an opportunity with national stroke awareness month to really make a dent in educating people and the people

of Denver and Colorado on to know and recognize the signs of stroke,” UCHealth Marketing and Partnerships director Bill

Smith said.

“What we decided to do was to put together an event that would get a lot of attention with our partners from the Avs, the

Broncos, the Rockies. They were all game to come out and hit some balls. The longer they hit these balls, the more

money we raise for the Stroke Association.”

The event included appearances at the plate from former Rockies Dante Bichette, Vinny Castilla, Brad Hawpe,

Cory Sullivan and Ryan Spilborghs; current and former Avalanche players in Francois Beauchemin, Pierre

Turgeon and Ken Klee; former Bronco Mark Schlereth; current and former Nuggets Malik Beasley and Mark Randall; and

current Mammoth John Grant Jr. Several members of the local media also stepped up to the batter’s box to do their part

for the cause.

“I think it’s so great anytime you get a lot of people that really have a passion for these kinds of charities, and you have

people that come together and have something fun,” 9News anchor Christine Noel said. “With the Rockies being here in

Denver, I think it’s awesome that people come together. The more you have other athletes and local celebrities that get

together and all for one cause, how can you not raise awareness? It’s a fun way to do it and I’m just really pleased to be a

part of it.”

Depending on the varying degree of the placement of hits, the participants raised anywhere from $50 to $2,500 per hit.

Sullivan and Beauchemin highlighted the lineup as each hit three or more home runs, some even into the second deck.

But this wasn’t Beauchemin’s first rodeo at Coors Field, because he stopped by with his whole team last year to take

batting practice before a game one day, when he also hit a few home runs.

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“These guys, I think most of them it was their first time hitting a baseball on the field, so maybe I had a little bit of an edge,

but they did good. All the guys that were hitting balls, they got some solid contact and good hits,” Beauchemin said. “I’m

not sure if I had three or four [home runs], but the one I hit off the second deck was pretty fun.”

Former Rockies legend Bichette hit a few hard balls after starting out with a couple bunts and some normal swings before

transitioning into a one-handed batting stance.

“It was good for about 20 swings and then I was exhausted, absolutely exhausted,” Bichette said. “It feels great, especially

when you do this for a good cause.”

Castilla stepped into a familiar role when he entered the batting net, but he said this time, it was a little more special.

“It’s a good cause,” Castilla said. “Everybody showed up and had a great time and enjoyed themselves. I enjoyed hitting a

lot, so that was a great time for myself, but like I said, it’s a great cause for a lot of people.”

Turgeon said that his turn at the plate was a lot harder than he anticipated.

“It’s hard, pretty tough,” Turgeon said. “I knew it was going to be hard, but after many hits, you’re kind of feeling it. A

minute after you’re like ‘Okay, I still have two more minutes to go.’ It’s not easy. It was a challenge.”

He joked that he made the right choice in pursuing a hockey career over a baseball career.

“No kidding,” Turgeon said. “I grew up with hockey. I started when I was three and I still do it once in awhile, so I still enjoy

it. I love going on the ice it’s a place every time I step on that ice it feels grounded. Even today I go back on the ice and

still enjoy it.”

In total, the even raised $36,500.

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Veteran catcher Hanigan says Rockies rookies ‘not scared to attack hitters’ By MHS Staff / Mile High Sports | May 10, 2017

Veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan knows his role with the Colorado Rockies. While his .462 batting average, one home run

and six RBIs are all a nice way to contribute to his new club, he knows its the work that he puts in behind the plate that

matters most – especially considering the relative youth in Colorado’s starting lineup these days.

“That’s what I take pride in. That’s my favorite thing in baseball – to really be in sync with my guy out there and get him

going, get him through a tough lineup, you know, work through some tough situations, get the outs when you need them.

You know, that’s what I do. That’s what a catcher does,” Hanigan told Eric Goodman and Les Shapiro on Mile High Sports

AM 1340 | FM 104.7 after Tuesday afternoon’s win over the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field.

Hanigan was behind the plate to catch rookie Antonio Senzatela, who earned his NL-leading (tie) fifth win in game one of

a split doubleheader. Senzatela allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, but that wasn’t the most impressive part of

his day, Hanigan says.

“[Senzatela on Tuesday] really didn’t have command like he has in the past, and he still got it done. And that just shows

you the type of arm he has and the stuff he has. You know, he can miss and still get outs. And that’s huge, because when

he’s on his game and really has his command, you know, he can be really pretty dominant.”

Hangian had a big day as well, driving in three runs with a two-out single in the third inning, but his primary focus since

being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque is keeping the Rockies’ talented young starters focused on maintaining their

hot start to 2017.

“I’m here, you know, I want to have good at-bats; I want to produce offensively. But, you know, my main goal is just to

work these pitchers – work the bullpen, the starters – help these guys on the mound, get them through the game and use

my knowledge and my experience to really keep them in line.”

Considering neither Kyle Freeland (3-2, 2.93) nor Senzatela (5-1, 2.86) had ever made a major league start prior to this

season, Hangian (a 10-year major league veteran) has been been quite impressed.

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“I would say the poise of what I’ve seen from Freeland and Senzatela has been fantastic for young guys,” Hanigan told

Goodman and Shapiro. “You know, they attack. They’re not scared to attack hitters. They’re coming at you, either way,

and that’s what you’ve got to do. You can’t pitch scared in the big leauges. They’ve got great talent, great arms, a great

repertoire of stuff and they’re getting better each outing.”

When asked if Freeland and Senzatela can maintain their hot start, Hanigan has seen enough in his big-league career to

make any over-reaching statements.

“Well that’s a tough question I think that, you know, it’s all about the preparation and the work and getting better as the

season goes on,” he said.

But he does like their mindset and has confidence in the pitching staff and coaches surrounding them.

“These guys take their starts real seriously,” Hanigan said. “They have great, great help from the pitching guys here.”

Hanigan’s time with the major league club may be limited, as Tony Wolters could return from the concussion DL shortly

and Tom Murphy‘s broken arm is healing up, but the veteran will continue focus on guiding this young staff for as long as

he’s needed. Of course, swinging a hot bat might increase that need.

Listen to the full interview with Hanigan, including his thoughts on whether Colorado has a playoff-ready team, in the

podcast below.

Catch Afternoon Drive with Goodman and Shapiro every weekday from 4p-6p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or

stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.

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This underrated position will be the key to Rockies finding postseason success By Andrew Dill / BSN Denver | May 11, 2017 Having a good first baseman is critical for every team, whether it’s producing at the plate or simply making a game-

changing scoop. One thing is for certain though, the National League is loaded at that position.

Just take a look at the names on this list.

Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals), Freddie Freeman (Braves), Mark Reynolds (Rockies), Eric Thames (Brewers), Paul

Goldschmidt (D’Backs), Wil Myers (Padres), Joey Votto (Reds), and Matt Carpenter (Cardinals).

Six of those eight hitters are hitting above .300 while five of the eight have at least 10 home runs. Talk about a stacked

group of players producing at a high level.

“There’s a lot of good players.” Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds said. “It’s good for the game.”

Speaking of producing at a high level, Reynolds is one of the first names that comes to mind. The 33-year-old signed a

minor-league deal with the Rockies this past offseason to remain with the team mainly due to familiarity, turning down

more money to play in Korea.

It’s safe to say he has made the right choice not only for him but for the team.

Reynolds, entering action Thursday night, is hitting .336/.412/.681 with five doubles, 12 home runs, 30 RBI. Not to

mention, the veteran has been patient at the plate, walking 16 times in 34 games played.

Ian Desmond, the five-year, $70 million offseason acquisition, was signed to primarily play first base. After sustaining a

fractured left hand in Cactus League play on March 12, Desmond has been mainly featured in the outfield during his

return due to the hot start from Reynolds.

“He [Reynolds] has been playing phenomenal. He played phenomenal last year.” Desmond said. “He’s a really good

player and it seems like he’s getting better as he gets older which is great. He’s been a huge part of us, he’s been

carrying us and it doesn’t seem like there is any signs of slowing down which is awesome.”

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Since his return, Desmond is slashing at a line of .293/.286/.439 in 10 games. The 31-year-old has produced 12 hits

during that span, two of which are for extra bases — both home runs. The main concern thus far has been his strikeout

rate. Desmond has fanned 13 times in 41 at-bats and has yet to reach base on a walk.

Back to the topic of first baseman, Desmond emphasizes the importance of a good one.

“I think throughout the course of history, there has always been a really good group of first baseman.” Desmond said. “I

don’t think there has ever been a championship team that’s had a subpar first baseman. It’s a valuable position.”

He is not wrong. Just take a look at the names featured on the championship teams over the last 14 World Series.

2016: Anthony Rizzo, Cubs.

2015: Eric Hosmer, Royals.

2014: Brandon Belt, Giants.

2013: Mike Napoli, Red Sox.

2012: Brandon Belt, Giants.

2011: Albert Pujols, Cardinals.

2010: Aubrey Huff, Giants.

2009: Mark Teixeira, Yankees.

2008: Ryan Howard, Phillies.

2007: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox.

2006: Albert Pujols, Cardinals.

2005: Paul Konerko, White Sox.

2004: Kevin Millar, Red Sox.

2003: Derrek Lee, Marlins.

Talk about a pretty good list of guys with a ring to their credit.

Fortunately enough for the Rockies, they have two guys in Desmond and Reynolds that can man the position at a high

level.

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Unmarked: Marquez shuts out world champs By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | May 10, 2017 DENVER – German Marquez was the man of the match-up in just about every way imaginable on Wednesday afternoon.

A day after the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs traded routes defined by mistake-riddled innings, the rubber match

came down — mostly — to one man. That (young) man came into this game with a 7.31 ERA on the season but showed

no fear of the defending champs, powering the Rockies to a 3-0 win with both his arm … and his bat.

Marquez walked Kyle Schwarber in the first inning then went on to not allow another base runner until Kris Bryant broke

up the no-hit bid to lead off the seventh inning.

Ian Desmond scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly, scoring Nolan Arenado who had

singled and moved up on an error and a walk.

With two outs in the sixth, Marquez got a little help from another brilliant defensive play. Carlos Gonzalez’ third in two

days:

Perhaps even more impressive than beginning the game with six hitless frames was the way Marquez responded to the

hit he did give up. Oftentimes, when a pitcher loses a no-hitter or a perfect game late like that, they tend to lose focus for a

while and usually give up a few more or some runs. Plus, a lead-off runner at second and against this lineup means the

odds are not in your favor to keep the game scoreless. But that’s exactly what Marquez did, settling down immediately,

inducing a ground out from Schwarber, striking out Jeimer Candelario, and getting a final weak groundout from Miguel

Montero to preserve the 1-0 lead.

The 22-year-old rookie (not to be confused with Antonio Senzatela, the Rockies other 22-year-old rookie who has been

turning heads this season) showed even more how unshaken he was by losing the no-no, delivering the biggest hit of the

game in the seventh, the very first base hit of his MLB career.

Mark Reynolds singled to lead off the inning, it was the third time he had reached base in the game having accrued a pair

of walks earlier in the game. Pat Valaika followed with a single of his own and Ryan Hanigan moved the runners to

second and third with two outs. Marquez, having pitched so well in the game, was allowed to come to the plate and

delivered a line drive to left field to make it 3-0, Rockies.

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Reynolds, by the way, is now hitting .339 with an OBP of .402.

Marquez took the mound in the eighth with his heart still pounding from his first hit and pair of RBI and gave up a pair of

one-out singles to Tommy La Stella and Ben Zobrist. Bud Black stuck with his rookie, though, and Marquez got two more

groundouts to keep the shutout intact. Marquez finished with a Game Score of 88, which is the sixth-best mark in

franchise history.

His final line: 8 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 8 K. He threw 99 pitches, 69 for strikes. No matter how you look at it, but especially when

you remember his age and this was only the fifth start of his MLB career, it was one of the best-pitched games Colorado

has ever seen.

Greg Holland came on in the ninth and recorded his 14th save in 14 tries with a pair of punchouts. He has been absolutely

stellar for the Rockies and may indeed end up being one of the biggest free agent acquisitions in franchise history.

With as big a series win as you are going to get in May, Rockies moved to 22-13 and remain two games up on the Los

Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.

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BSN EXCLUSIVE: Kyle Freeland on his “long journey” to “a dream come true” By Drew Creasman / BSN Denver | May 10, 2017

Denver – Somewhere, someplace, there is possibly … a picture of a very young Kyle Freeland with Colorado Rockies

mascot, Dinger. “Growing up, I always knew who he was, I think I might have gotten a picture with him when I was little,”

he says. “It was always fun seeing him running around.”

It’s odd to think we may have crossed paths over the years as fans at down at the ballpark long before baseball would

become both of our jobs. Especially considering how far outside the mainstream people from this area so often

feel. There’s something special about the hometown, or in this case also the home state, hero. And when you come from

a smaller, often overlooked part of the country, you take that much more ownership and pride over the success of your

neighbors.

“It’s definitely special,” Freeland says. “There’s much bigger stages out there like New York, Chicago, places like that

where their fan base is extremely massive and goes throughout the United States. Here in Denver, it’s special. It’s a tight-

knit group of fans that want to see you succeed and want to see how. Being able to have that fan base behind you being

from Denver, they want to see you succeed. They want to be able to talk about that story about a hometown kid who is

playing for the Rockies and be able to come out and enjoy the moment and have fun and have success.”

About a week ago, we shared Part 1 of our conversation with Freeland where we broke down the nitty-gritty details of his

pitching mechanics, but how could two Colorado kids not talk to one of their own about realizing the ultimate dream?

From Thomas Jefferson High School to Coors Field

“When I woke up that morning … came to the ballpark … about 10-15 minutes after I got to the ballpark, I actually put my

phone into airplane mode just so I didn’t get all the notifications and everything. I got a lot of texts, got a lot of people

tweeting at me and reaching out telling me congratulations and good luck. After the start, everything went smooth. Got a

win in the home opener. They all came flooding in after that but it was cool.”

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In a feel-good story that felt straight out of the very best of Pixar, The Southpaw from the Centennial State appeared for

the first time in front of an MLB crowd — and MLB hitters — making his MLB debut in the Rockies home opener at Coors

Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“When I first walked out of the dugout to take the mound in the first inning and hearing the roar of the crowd and everyone

behind me and everyone excited to see what was about to happen? That right there, walking out of the dugout, it gave me

chills.”

It gave 50,000 people chills. The roar felt as though it emanated from the whole of Lower Downtown Denver and

somehow magnified in intensity until it went supernova, shaking the foundation of a city when Freeland struck out Logan

Forsythe, the very first batter he faced. Jets flew overhead before the game, but they had nothing on the reaction to that

punchout.

“The strikeout was big definitely,” Freeland recalls. “Especially on the first hitter I’m facing. The thing that really sticks out

to me still is that first inning, getting out of that bases-loaded jam. I just remember walking off the mound like, whew, that’s

how it is. That’s the pressure you can feel and be able to face that and come out of it on top was big.”

It wasn’t just that first batter either. He has pitched phenomenally well to begin his career, posting a record of 3-2 with a

2.93 ERA over 34 innings pitched. Freeland, and fellow rookie Antonio Senzatela, have somehow been the Rockies most

consistent pitchers in a season that sees them leading the NL West through a month and a week of the season.

“Me and him have definitely fed off each other,” Freeland tells us about Senzatela. “We’ve been together for quite a long

time. I met him when I got promoted to Low-A right after I got drafted. I’ve been moving up the ranks with him ever since.

We were in Modesto together after I got off of rehab. We were in Double-A together last year and then spring training and

we broke together. He’s a great guy, great pitcher. He’s got an amazing fastball. We feed off each other being rookies.”

Each young pitcher has only one bad outing so far this season. For Freeland, that came in his second game against San

Diego when he gave up six earned runs over just 4.2 innings before being pulled. But even though his next game saw him

retire two fewer hitters, it was a remarkable display of growth and quite possibly a major turning point early in his career.

“It was my first time on the road and it was in a stadium that can get pretty loud,” he says of his trip to Los Angeles to face

the mighty Dodgers. “It was a little intimidating at times. I did find myself a little bit. I think I was trying to be too fine with

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pitches instead of letting all of my pitches work and do what I did against them in my debut. It was a battle for the four

innings I was out there.”

Just four innings but he kept the defending division champs in check, allowing just run in a game Colorado went on to win.

It’s a cliche but games like this are the reason why; Freeland kept his team in the game.

“That’s the goal every time,” he says. “Obviously you want to go as deep as possible. Four innings really isn’t as deep as

you can go but you always want to leave a game with your team up and put them in a position to win.”

What Dreams Become

“It’s been a long journey since I graduated high school and definitely a dream come true for me,” Freeland says. “Going

through the whole process and then finally being up here the past few weeks has been awesome. [I’ve] been soaking it all

in, learning a ton from the guys, a lot about myself and a lot about the game.”

And the game has been learning about Kyle Freeland. If he keeps pitching this well, they’ll have to learn a great deal

more. For now, at least the constant text and tweets have stopped.

“Things have definitely settled down,” he says. “Once the news broke and the debut and everything, things were crazy. It

was fun. It was fun to experience that and be a part of that, have friends and family be a part of that. Being from Denver

and everything, it just made it that much sweeter.”

Hollywood scripts about kids from small(er) cities growing up to become the hometown hero on their local baseball team

get tossed out because the odds of that occurring make it less believable than tales of aliens, robots, and people with

superpowers.

Thomas Jefferson High School sits approximately 10 blocks from the mound at Coors Field where Kyle Freeland turned

the dream of a five-year-old into a reality. It was the streets and the parks and the people who helped shape him who

graced the background as the tapestry on which he could paint this surreal picture.

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For every time he caught the 16th Street Mallride or went down to Larimer Square or up to Cap Hill … for every trip out to

the suburbs of Lakewood, Aurora, Cherry Creek, Arvada, Wheat Ridge and beyond — probably to play baseball … and

for every time he walked up Blake Street and bought a Rockpile seat at the ticket window just like some kid will today and

tomorrow … and for every moment in between, April 7, 2017, will always be one of the greatest days Kyle Freeland ever

got to spend … at home.

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Off to a franchise-best start, Rockies face reigning division champion Dodgers By Sarah Langs / ESPN.com | May 10, 2017 Beginning Thursday night in Denver, the Colorado Rockies face the Los Angeles Dodgers, the reigning National League

West champions. The Rockies enter the four-game series with a 1½-game lead over the Dodgers.

Los Angeles has won four consecutive NL West titles, the longest active division-title streak in the majors and a franchise-

best streak for playoff berths. The Rockies have never won the division, whereas the Dodgers have won it eight times

since Colorado entered the majors in 1993.

The challengers: Colorado

The Rockies (22-13) are off to their best 35-game start in franchise history. They’ve won at least 20 games through the

first 35 three times before but did not make the playoffs in any of those seasons (1997, 2006, 2014).

After a 16-10 record in April, the Rockies are 6-3 in May. They’ve never had a winning record in April and May in the same

season.

The story of the series: the bullpen

The Rockies are 9-0 in one-run games -- tied for the most wins in one-run games in the majors (with the Angels, who are

9-7) and the only team without a loss in one-run games.

Last season the Rockies won 12 one-run games all season (went 12-20).

Greg Holland, the NL reliever of the month for April, leads baseball with 14 saves. The most saves by a Rockies pitcher

last season was 15, by Jake McGee.

Holland was an All-Star closer for the Royals in 2013 and 2014. He suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament late in the

2015 season and missed 2016 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He signed a one-year contract with the Rockies in

the offseason for $7 million.

The defenders: Los Angeles

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The Dodgers are 10-2 after April 26, the best winning percentage (.833) in the majors in that span. They were 10-12

(.455) through April 26, which was tied for 19th in the majors.

The story of the series: Cody Bellinger

First baseman Cody Bellinger hit his sixth home run of the season Wednesday, tying Yasiel Puig for the team lead.

Bellinger has played in 14 games this season; Puig has played 33.

Cody Bellinger has hit six home runs in his 14 games. Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports

Bellinger’s six home runs in his first 14 career games are tied with Matt Kemp for the most in Dodgers history in a player’s

first 14 games.

All six of Bellinger’s home runs have come since April 29. The only player with more in that span is Yonder

Alonso (seven). Brett Gardner also has six.

And Bellinger hasn’t played at Coors Field yet. But he will for the next four games.

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Real or not? Rockies will stick around, Showalter messes up By David Schoenfield / ESPN.com | May 10, 2017

We're a fifth of the way through the season, and the Colorado Rockies are 22-13.

We're a fifth of the way through the season, and the Rockies are allowing 4.49 runs per game.

We're a fifth of the way through the season, and the Rockies are 18-0 when leading after six innings, 19-0 when leading

after eight innings and 9-0 in one-run games.

Sometimes the analysis is simple: It's the pitching, stupid. That runs-per-game total might not seem so impressive --

they're 15th in the majors with a 4.19 ERA -- but that would rank as the third-lowest figure in Rockies history, behind the

4.41 in 2009 and 4.43 in 2010. Those were good teams. The 2009 squad won 92 games and made the playoffs, the last

time the Rockies were in the postseason.

The huge factor, however, is that record when leading in the late innings. Last year, the Rockies lost 14 games they were

leading after six innings and lost six games they were leading after eight innings. They were 12-20 in one-run games, and

the bullpen was a big reason why, with a 22-29 record and an MLB-worst 5.13 ERA.

Now the bullpen -- at least the back end of the bullpen with Greg Holland, Adam Ottavino, Jake McGee and Mike Dunn --

is good, maybe even great. Those four have combined for 50 innings and just two home runs allowed, and Holland is 14-

for-14 in save chances. He picked up another one in Wednesday's 3-0 win at Coors Field over the suddenly mediocre

Cubs, but the star of the game was rookie right-hander German Marquez.

In just his seventh major league start, Marquez throttled the Cubs with eight scoreless innings, taking a no-hitter into the

seventh. He fanned eight and walked just one, and his 99th and final pitch was clocked at 97 mph. His Game Score of 83

means Marquez's start ranks as one of the best in Coors Field history, tied for 15th overall and tied for seventh for a

Rockies pitcher. Carlos Gonzalez helped out with his second spectacular diving catch in as many days:

The Rockies took two of three from the Cubs after splitting Tuesday's doubleheader, and look at the ages of their starting

pitchers in the series, as Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland started the doubleheader:

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It's fun to dream about these young starters, and eventually they'll get Jon Gray, the Opening Day starter, back from his

broken foot. My concern, despite this early success, is that they haven't been striking out many batters. We've had 145

pitchers start at least four games so far, and here's where the Rockies' starters rank:

64. Tyler Anderson: 21.1 percent

70. German Marquez: 20.4 percent

101. Tyler Chatwood: 17.7 percent

125. Kyle Freeland: 15.1 percent

133. Antonio Senzatela: 13.6 percent

Anderson is the one guy with a decent rate -- although Marquez certainly has potential, which he flashed against the Cubs

-- but he's also the guy with the 6.69 ERA and nine home runs in 36⅓ innings. On the other hand, maybe these guys can

find a way to thrive. Freeland has the second-best ground ball rate among starters and has allowed just one home run in

40 innings. Chatwood is 13th out of those 145 pitches in ground ball rate. Senzatela is the guy likely to regress from his

current level. He has just 24 Ks in 44 innings without a notable ability to induce grounders. He doesn't beat himself with

walks and has certainly pitched with a lot of confidence, but it's hard to succeed in 2017 with that kind of strikeout rate.

Getting Gray, a legitimate strikeout pitcher, back in the rotation will be huge. Rockies fans will also point out that the

offense hasn't even been that good yet; CarGo is still below .200, Trevor Story has struggled and DJ LeMahieu is way

below his 2016 production. At some point, they'll lose some one-run games. Maybe the starting pitching regresses, but

maybe the offense starts winning some slugfests. It all adds up to what should be a fun summer of baseball in Denver.

Buck's blunder. Jeurys Familia blew a 3-2 lead for the Mets in the ninth, but the most important ninth inning Wednesday

was the Nationals scoring three runs off the Orioles' Brad Brach to win 7-6. Jayson Werth started the bottom half with a

home run on the 11th pitch of the at-bat, and then it got weird. Bryce Harper doubled, and Ryan Zimmerman grounded out

to Brach. Buck Showalter then intentionally walked Daniel Murphy, the potential winning run. Guess what? Murphy scored

the winning run after Anthony Rendon singled to load the bases and Matt Wieters won it:

You can see Showalter's thinking. Over the past two seasons, Brach has a large platoon split -- .274 versus lefties, .140

versus righties -- so you walk Murphy to get the righty-righty matchup with Rendon. If Brach gets a double play, Showalter

looks like a genius. I wouldn't put the winning run on base there, however, unless it's Barry Bonds circa 2001. If Murphy

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beats you, he beats you, but free baserunners often lead to trouble. Bottom line: The Orioles bullpen has done well so far

without Zach Britton; we'll see if this was just a blip or the first crack.

Mariners climb to .500. For the first time all season! Earlier in the day, they placed Hisashi Iwakuma on the DL, meaning

four-fifths of their projected rotation is now on the DL. Robinson Cano, who was questionable after tweaking his quad

Tuesday, went 4-for-5 in the 11-6 win over the Phillies, including his eighth home run. That has always been one of his

underappreciated strengths: He's out there every day. Ben Gamel also continues to rake, going 2-for-4 with two walks. In

his past eight games, he has hit .483/.571/.724. Obviously, with so many injuries, it's going to be a tough road for the

Mariners, but they can score some runs.

Bad blood watch. Chris Archer was dominating the Royals with a 7-0 lead in the seventh inning, on his way to an 11-

strikeout gem, when he hit Salvador Perez. That made Perez angry: "He's going to throw at me because I have two hits

against him. I think he was mad. But I don't think that's the right way, you know? He never throws the first pitch inside. We

all see the reports he has. He never throws inside. Just get [me] out, you know?" That was followed by an eight-letter

word. Stay tuned.

Quick thoughts ... Have we mentioned Jedd Gyorko? He's raking, up to .351 with six home runs, and it's kind of funny

that the Cardinals started the season with Jhonny Peralta ahead of him at third base, even with Gyorko coming off a 30-

homer season. Which maybe says something about Mike Matheny's ability to judge talent. ... The Don Mattingly leadoff

watch: Dee Gordon hit ninth again, with Derek Dietrich in the leadoff spot and J.T. Realmuto batting second. The

Cardinals beat the Marlins, who have slid to 13-20. The Marlins, Phillies and Braves are all 2-8 over the past 10 games.

Yuck. ... The Cubs are 17-17, the Red Sox are 17-16 and how do you feel about those preseason World Series favorites?

... Kyle Kendrick has allowed 12 runs in two starts for the Red Sox, and I have no idea why they thought that was a good

idea. ... I'm starting to love this Dodgers lineup with Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor. Joc Pederson hit leadoff on

Wednesday with Andrew Toles out for the season after tearing his ACL. I love that idea as well. Stick with it, Dave

Roberts. Heard this on MLB Network: Who do you like for the next 10 years, Bellinger or Aaron Judge? Ooh, that's a fun

one. Bellinger is three years younger, so ...

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German Marquez throws gem, Rockies beat Cubs 3-0 By Associated Press / ESPN.com | May 10, 2017 DENVER -- German Marquez's fastball was dancing. His curve, almost untouchable. And after a diving catch by Carlos

Gonzalez in the sixth, well, Marquez's mind couldn't help but wonder.

"I thought about it," Marquez said of a no-hitter.

That's how electric his command was.

Marquez allowed three hits over eight innings and got his first major league hit with a two-run single in the seventh to lead

the Colorado Rockies over the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday.

"For a young man against the world champions to do this, I mean, pretty special game," said Rockies manager Bud Black,

whose team is off to its best 35-game start at 22-13.

Marquez had a no-hit bid going until Kris Bryant's double leading off the seventh. He walked Kyle Schwarber in the first

and retired 16 straight before Bryant's hit to left.

The 22-year-old Marquez (1-2) struck out eight by mixing in a mid-90s fastball with an assortment of breaking pitches. The

Cubs acknowledged they didn't know much about him before.

"You have to give the kid credit -- he was on today and we had nothing to show for it," Bryant said.

With two on and two outs in the seventh, Marquez broke open the game with his liner to left on an 0-2 pitch left up. The

Rockies bench gave him an ovation.

"I didn't look at that pitch, just swung," explained Marquez, who had the ball sitting on his shelf at his locker.

Greg Holland threw a perfect ninth for his 14th save in as many chances to help the Rockies take two of three from

Chicago.

"That's how you draw it up: Get (Marquez) through eight, throw it to your closer, game over," catcher Ryan Hanigan said.

"That was a great win for our pitching staff."

Kyle Hendricks (2-2) gave up three runs -- two earned -- in 6 1/3 innings.

"Just one of those days for us," Hendricks said.

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Ian Desmond hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fourth that was set up by an error. After Nolan Arenado's one-out single,

Gonzalez sent a grounder to shortstop Javier Baez, who mishandled it. Mark Reynolds drew a walk, and Desmond lifted a

ball to center.

"The game should have been 0-0. We made the one mistake at shortstop and the unlikely single by the pitcher on an 0-2

count," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Wow."

Marquez was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on April 25 to fill in with Jon Gray sidelined by an injury. Marquez

struggled in his first two starts at Coors Field this season, posting an 11.70 ERA.

He found his masterful control Wednesday after a rain delay of 50 minutes at the start. It's the sixth time a Rockies pitcher

has thrown at least six innings of no-hit baseball at Coors Field and first since Jorge De La Rosa on May 16, 2014,

according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Marquez found himself in a tight spot in the eighth with two on and one out. Black showed faith in him to escape and he

did, too, by getting two groundouts to end the threat.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: SS Addison Russell was a late scratch with soreness in his right shoulder. "He felt better through the course of the

game," Maddon said after the game.

Rockies: C Tony Wolters (concussion) is taking swings in the batting cage. "I feel good," Wolters said.

PUT HIM IN, COACH

Third base on Tuesday, first base on Wednesday -- Jeimer Candelario doesn't care where he plays. He was recalled from

Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday as the 26th player before the second game of a doubleheader, but was kept around. Instead,

pitcher Dylan Floro was sent back to Triple-A Iowa.

SCUFFLING CUBS

The loss drops the Cubs to 17-17 this season. It's been a crazy past few days for the Cubs, who've endured an 18-inning

loss to the New York Yankees and then a day-night doubleheader Tuesday after a rainout the day before.

"This is kind of our worst baseball right now," Bryant said. "We're not hitting the panic button at all. We know the talent we

have here."

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Mark Reynolds proving Rockies right for bringing him back By Tony DeMarco / Fanrag Sports | May 10, 2017 Mark Reynolds had become the consummate journeyman.

After four seasons in Arizona — where his big-swinging ways rained both home runs and record-breaking strikeout totals

— Reynolds bounced from Baltimore to Cleveland to New York to Milwaukee to St. Louis to Colorado.

In a six-season stretch from 2010 to 2015, his season-ending batting average twice fell below the Mendoza Line, and

never finished above .236. It wasn’t as though Reynolds had a big split advantage that made him a must-start against left-

handed pitching, or that his defense could get him on the field. He had settled into a role-player existence in which season

at-bat totals topped out in the 400s.

That is the player the Colorado Rockies signed to a one-year, $2.6 million deal two winters ago, when a most fortuitous

partnership began. You’re probably well aware of the the current results, with Reynolds leading the first-place Rockies in

virtually every major offensive category with these gaudy numbers through Tuesday: .333/.402/.684, 12 HR, 30 RBIs, 23

R.

The under-the-radar backstory goes like this: Failed prospect Ben Paulsen quickly faded away early in the 2016 season,

the first-base job became Reynolds’ alone, and his transformation — albeit Coors Field-aided — took hold.

Reynolds posted a career-best .282 batting average and .356 on-base percentage despite a broken hamate bone that

cost him three weeks and limited his September to nine hits in 32 at-bats.

The Rockies chose to sign Ian Desmond to a five-year, $70-million deal anyway, but Reynolds, 33, decided to come back

on a minor-league deal. He is now well on his way to maxing out performance bonuses that could push the deal from $1.5

million guaranteed to $3.5 million.

Desmond has returned from injury, but Reynolds isn’t going anywhere — other than to the bench on an occasional off-

day. He has put together this highlight reel of late: homers in four consecutive games through the opener of Tuesday’s

day-night doubleheader, and a 20-for-57 stretch with four homers and seven RBIs.

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In the midst of it all, Rockies manager Bud Black said:

“Mark’s playing, man. He’s hitting homers, he’s playing good defense, timely hits,

he’s getting his RBIs. It’s been that way since Opening Day — from the two-run

homer in Milwaukee until now, he’s been a major contributor to our early-season

success.’’

Coors Field has worked its magic on many a hitter, and Reynolds is no exception. In 2016, his home slash line was

.310/.383/.497, as opposed to .255/.329/.403 on the road. His slugging percentage splits are even more extreme to date

this season (.833 to .526), but he has cut down on his swing, improved his contact rate, and in the process, boosted his

average exit velocity.

In a recent interview with MLB.com, Reynolds credited St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach John Mabry with getting him to

begin swing alterations during his 2015 season. Mabry taught him to keep the barrel of the bat in the strike zone longer.

Obviously, Reynolds remains a willing pupil.

Reynolds, you’ll remember, led the National League in strikeouts four consecutive years (2008-11) with the

Diamondbacks — three times topping the 200 mark, and reaching the all-time MLB single-season high of 223 in 2009.

During that same time, he did average 35 homers and 93 RBI, topping out at 44 HR and 102 RBI in that whiff-riddled 2009

season.

Reynolds also has made himself into a solid defensive first baseman — and a much-improved defender than at third base

during his time in Arizona.