Marquez keeps Rockies close, as Colorado wins in extra innings

Rockies starter German Marquez pitched seven innings of one-run ball on Tuesday, allowing only two hits and a pair of walks while striking out seven. At one point in the game, Marquez, who now has a 1.97 ERA over his last five starts, retired 11 straight Rangers batters.

In the eighth inning, however, reliever Carlos Estevez allowed a 401-foot solo home run to Khris Davis, tying the game at 2-2.

“Carlos just made a mistake and Davis didn’t miss it,” said manager Bud Black. “He squared it up.”

The tie remained until the 11th inning, when Rockies pitcher Michael Givens picked Jonah Heim off second base, eliminating the built-in, extra-inning advantage for the hitting team.

“I was reading the situation and saw that Heim was creeping toward third,” Givens explained. “I did it at the right time.”

After Givens held the Rangers scoreless in the top of the 11th, Charlie Blackmon advanced Ryan McMahon — who started the inning on second base — to third on a groundout. Rangers reliever Brett Martin then walked Joshua Fuentes and Brendan Rodgers to load the bases in the hopes of forcing a potential out at home. However, Martin instead let loose a wild pitch soon after that allowed McMahon to scamper home for the winning run.

The Rockies, now 17-12 at Coors Field, will try to extend their winning streak to three on Wednesday night.

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NEXT UP: Rockies (21-34, 4th in NL West) vs. Rangers (22-34, 5th in AL West) | Tuesday, Jun. 2 at 6:40 p.m. | COL: Antonio Senzatela (1-5, 4.97 ERA) vs. TEX: Jordan Lyles (2-4, 5.79 ERA)

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NOTES

• Over the last 10 games, the Rockies are 5-5 with a reasonable 3.76 ERA, but as a team, they’re batting an abysmal .193 over that span.

• Yonathan Daza went 3-for-5 with an RBI, giving him a .328 batting average in 119 at-bats that leads the Rockies by a wide margin; C.J. Cron is second with a .273 average over 128 at-bats — a 55-point difference.

• Brendan Rodgers and Alan Trejo, who was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque, will fill in at shortstop during Trevor Story’s absence over at least the next week. “I know I can play the middle infield very well. Put me wherever you want. I make plays, and I keep working to get better every day,” Rodgers said.

• Charlie Blackmon played in his 1,170th game for the Rockies, tying Larry Walker for third place in team history. With 1,352 hits, Blackmon is only 10 away from passing Walker for second place in team history, but Todd Helton’s first-place total of 2,519 are almost as much as Walker and Blackmon’s totals combined (2,713).

• Connor Joe was optioned to triple-A Albuquerque. Matt Adams’ pinch-hitting ability and left-handed bat was considered more useful.

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THE FINAL WORD

“I’ve been working in the bullpen with my pitching coach to make things right — and I always have my confidence,” — German Marquez, who pitched seven solid innings on Tuesday.

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STARTING LINEUP

LF Raimel Tapia
CF Yonathan Daza
2B Ryan McMahon
1B C.J. Cron
RF Charlie Blackmon
3B Joshua Fuentes
SS Brendan Rodgers
C Dom Nunez
SP German Marquez

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INJURY WATCH

• Trevor Story (arm tightness) was pulled from the second game of a doubleheader on May 27, but a follow-up MRI revealed nothing of concern. Story is eligible to return from the IL on Jun. 8.
• Ben Bowden (strained left shoulder) was placed on the 10-day IL on May 16. He was removed from the list and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Jun. 1.
• Chris Owings (left thumb surgery) was placed on the 60-day IL in mid-April and will likely be out until the All-Star break.
• Scott Oberg (blood clots) had surgery prior to the end of Spring Training. He was placed on the 60-day IL on Mar. 27 and his season is in doubt.

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Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan

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