The Colorado Rockies have made unfortunate history over the weekend, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball to record 50 losses before they could secure their tenth win of the season. As they look ahead, questions loom about whether they can achieve 20 wins before hitting the 100-loss mark.
This week, the Rockies are traveling to sunny Florida to face the Miami Marlins, who, despite their own challenges, have managed to win twice as many games as the Rockies have thus far.
On the mound for the Rockies is right-handed pitcher Germán Márquez, making his 12th start of the season. Márquez is showing signs of improvement, having posted back-to-back Quality Starts in his last two games, allowing only four runs (three earned) over 13 innings. His recent success has been attributed to an effective combination of his knuckle curve and four-seam fastball, with a noticeable decrease in the use of his slider and changeup, leading to increased strikeouts.
The Marlins will counter with right-handed pitcher Max Meyer, who is also making his 12th start of the current season. Meyer brings a 4.53 ERA into the matchup, with 63 strikeouts over 59 and two-thirds innings of work. In his only previous encounter with the Rockies, he struggled, yielding five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks. The young right-hander boasts a diverse five-pitch arsenal, with his slider being particularly effective, achieving a 42.9% whiff rate this season.
Fans can catch the action starting at 4:40 p.m. MT, with live coverage on Rockies.tv and radio broadcasts on KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and KNRV 1150 AM in Spanish.
Despite the tough situation for the Rockies, the team has glimpses of promise with the performances of Márquez, and hope remains for better days ahead as the season continues. The Rockies will need to rally together to turn their luck around against the Marlins.