SAN FRANCISCO — Hey, Jason Marquis, don’t quit your day job. The Rockies would be lost without you.
Marquis, who rarely loses during daylight hours, confounded the Giants for nine innings in the Rockies’ 5-1 victory. It was clearly one of the most satisfying victories of the season.
The only blemish on this 2-hour, 26-minute Mona Lisa was Pablo Sandoval’s solo homer leading off the ninth. That blast to right spoiled Marquis’ chance for the third shutout of his career. Still, Marquis notched his fifth complete game and allowed just five hits.
After a lousy April, the Rockies are finding their stride, winning for the fourth time in six games.
While Marquis (4-1, 3.06 ERA) muffled the Giants’ bats by mixing his heavy sinker with an effective changeup, the Rockies battered Giants starter Matt Cain.
Ryan Spilborghs led off the game with a home run into the left-field bleachers on Cain’s second pitch of the game. Spilborghs blasted a two-run shot over the center-field wall in the fifth, putting Colorado in front 4-0. It marked the fourth multi-homer run game of Spilborghs’ career. He also walked, singled and stole two bases. Spilborghs bumped his averaged to .309.
Brad Hawpe, starting for the first time since suffering a bruised neck on Monday, rocketed a leadoff solo homer to right in the sixth inning, extending the Rockies’ lead to 5-0. Cain suffered his first loss of the season, giving up five runs on seven hits in six innings.
Todd Helton, clearly in the zone, went 2-for-4, raising his average to .324. He’s had more than one hit in five straight games.
Marquis, who struggled to find balance to during spring training, is off to one of the best starts of his career. His sinker has always been effective at AT&T Park. It was again today. The top-heavy pitch forced the Giants into 14 groundball outs.
The Giants threatened Marquis just once. With two outs in the fifth, Emmanuel Burriss reached on an infield hit and Cain’s bunt down hugged the third baseline for another infield hit. But Marquis got Randy Winn to pop out harmlessly to center.
It was the fourth time this season Marquis won during the daylight hours. His lone loss came at night, in Arizona, on April 20. It’s not an aberration. Last season, pitching for the Cubs, Marquis went 7-3 with a 4.38 ERA in 17 days games (16 starts).
Marquis has enjoyed hot springs before. With the Cubs in 2007, he opened the season with a no decision, lost his next game, then reeled off five wins in a row.
The Rockies try to capture their second straight series Sunday. Pitching for Colorado is right-hander Jason Hammel. The Giants will start lefty Barry Zito.
