Rockies skipper Warren Schaeffer says Germán Márquez is “moving in the right direction”

German Marquez threw six innings while only allowing two runs against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night, and Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer likes the direction the 2021 All-Star is heading

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

May 28, 2025, 9:29 AM

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It’s been a bumpy and windy road for Colorado Rockies pitcher Germán Márquez over recent years, as the 2021 All-Star has not been able to get back to the consistent level of pitching he once was at before he battled the woes of Tommy John surgery that kept him out for almost two seasons.

Through 11 starts on what could be the worst team in the history of baseball, the 30-year-old is 1-7 (.125 win percentage is the lowest of his career) with a 7.66 ERA (lowest of career) and a 1.44 strikeout:walk ratio (2nd-lowest of his career). While the defense around him has provided little-to-no help throughout the first third of the season, Marquez has not been able to find the command that he once had on the bump for Colorado.

Coming off his last start against Philadelphia last week, in which he allowed just one earned run in seven innings, Marquez followed it up with six innings of work at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, allowing two earned runs while dealing six strikeouts. This is the first time all season he allowed two or fewer earned runs in consecutive starts.

He threw 84 pitches, 61 of which were strikes, including this nasty knuckle curveball.

Germán Márquez, Wicked Knuckle Curves…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/gMti1WpAY9

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 28, 2025

Marquez also did not receive a decision on Tuesday night, as Tyler Kinley was credited with the loss after not holding the one run lead Colorado had in the 11th inning.

“[Marquez’s] curveball was really good, some punchouts with that. His fastball command, his 2-seam was good tonight. He gave us a chance to win, which is fantastic,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said after the loss. “He keeps moving in the right direction.”

Marquez did more than enough to give his team a shot to win its first series in 21 tries dating back to last season, but the bats didn’t come through for the purple and black once again. The offense had six innings in which they went three batters up and three batters down, along with a seventh in which Hunter Goodman got a hit but was then thrown out stealing, so the offense went three up three down the hard way.

Maybe the Rockies need Marquez out in the batter’s box to try and spark some offense, as the pitcher won a Silver Slugger back in 2018 when he had 18 hits and a home run on a .300/.300/.350 slash line.

If the schedule holds up, the Venezuelan’s next outing will be on the road against the Miami Marlins on Monday. That team currently has the 12th-best batting average in the league at .250 but has the fifth-worst record in the league at 21-32 (when will the Rockies hit 21 wins?).