HOUSTON — Give the Rockies credit for creativity. They keep inventing new ways to lose.
Wednesday night, they combined a rare off night by starter Jason Marquis, a crucial error by reliever Joel Peralta and a four-hit barrage by the Astros’ Hunter Pence into a 6-4 defeat at Minute Maid Park.
The loss was the Rockies’ fourth straight under new manager Jim Tracy and their seventh loss in their last nine games.
Their latest version was clinched in the seventh inning on what should have been an inning-ending double play.
Reliever Joel Peralta got Geoff Blum to hit a sharp grounder to first baseman Todd Helton, who fired the ball to shortstop Clint Barmes, forcing out Lance Berkman at second. Barmes threw back to Peralta, covering first, but the ball slipped by and bounded to the wall, allowing Carlos Lee to score from third.
The official scorer initially tagged Barmes with a throwing error, but changed the error to Peralta, who should have been able to make the play. The error was the 11th by a Rockies pitcher this season, equaling the number for all of 2008.
Marquis has not only been the Rockies’ best pitcher this season, but also he’s been as tough as a pair of old Texas boots. But he couldn’t solve Pence. The Astros right fielder hit an RBI single in the first, a triple in the fifth and a monstrous solo home run off the left-field facade to lead off the seventh and tie the game 4-4.
Pence uses Marquis for batting practice. He’s 11-for-22 (.500) with five RBIs against Marquis in his career.
For good measure, Pence hit a run-scoring single off Manuel Corpas in the eighth, giving the Astros an insurance run.
The Rockies’ listless offense was lifeless until the fifth when Ian Stewart resurrected it with a three-run homer to right, driving in Brad Hawpe and Seth Smith, tying the game 3-all. The towering shot to the second deck completed the home run cycle for Stewart against the Astros this season. Last month in Denver, he hit a solo homer, a two-run homer and a grand slam against the Astros at Coors Field.
Dexter Fowler utilized his speed to give the Rockies a short-lived 4-3 lead in the sixth. Fowler led off with a blooper to center and turned it into a double. He advanced to third on Barmes’ un-fielded bunt single up the third-base line and scored on Helton’s sacrifice fly to left.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
