Dontrelle Willis wasn’t exactly relieved to end his long losing streak.
As far as he was concerned, he had said goodbye to his funk long ago.
“It didn’t seem that long,” Willis said after he led the Florida Marlins to a 4-2 victory over the Rockies on Friday night for his first win since April 14. “Especially of late, I have been able to throw the ball a little better. I haven’t gotten the results, but I like what I’ve done.”
Willis (2-6) had lost a career-high six straight decisions, although he’s compiled a 2.40 ERA over his last four starts, lower than last year, when he went 22-10 and was runner-up for the Cy Young Award.
The difference this time was he got some run support, including a solo homer by Jeremy Hermida, who went 3-for-4.
“We got him four runs tonight, and obviously we’d like to have more, but we’re not going to be greedy,” Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. “He pitched great. He gave up two solo home runs that didn’t hurt him.”
Snapping his skid at Coors Field was extra special.
“This meant something, to end the streak in this ballpark and against a tough team,” Willis said. “This is a team that capitalizes on mistakes, and I made a point of keeping mistakes to a minimum.
“They hit the ball down. The couple of times I got up they hit home runs. It tells you right there you have to keep the ball down.”
The Marlins also won for the first time in seven road starts by Willis, who allowed home runs to light-hitting Ryan Spilborghs (his second) and Clint Barmes (his third) – but both came with the bases empty.
“Another key was keeping focused after giving up home runs,” Willis said. “I gave them up, but I didn’t let them continue the trend.”
Willis pitched his way out of a jam after Barmes’ homer made it 3-2 with one out in the seventh. He surrendered a single to Choo Freeman and walked pinch-hitter Eli Marrero but got Jamey Carroll to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
“Carroll is a guy that has worn me out since I’ve been in the big leagues,” Willis said, who is one win shy of matching A.J. Burnett’s club record of 49. “It was a big pitch in a big situation. Even in this park, good pitches turn into home runs.”
Reggie Abercrombie’s sacrifice fly off David Cortes in the eighth made it 4-2, and Logan Kensing pitched the final two innings for his first career save, striking out four, allowing no hits and plunking one batter.
“He had a pretty easy eighth, plus it’s just trying to expand people’s roles,” Girardi said. “I liked the way he was throwing the ball, so I left him in.”
Colorado right-hander Josh Fogg (3-4) allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Catcher Yorvit Torrealba made his long-awaited debut for the Rockies, who have lost eight of 10 to slip to .500 (27-27).
After his trade from Seattle in December, Torrealba bulked up with the help of a personal trainer, but the added muscle and reduced mobility resulted in a strained throwing shoulder at spring training that required two months of rest and rehab.
Torrealba was activated from the 15-day DL on Friday and went 0-for-3.
“It was like an opening day for me. Too bad we lost, definitely happy and excited that I’m playing,” Torrealba said.
