SAN DIEGO — Jason Marquis is the rock of the Rockies’ rotation. He’s their Purple Innings Eater. He’s more economical than a Toyota Prius.
All of that was on display Sunday afternoon at Petco Park as Marquis became the major leagues’ first 12-game winner.
The Rockies’ super sinkerballer mastered the Padres for eight innings, allowing just five hits with no walks and paving the way to a 6-1 victory.
Oh, yes, he also delivered a two-run double in the sixth inning.
Marquis did all of that despite a painful blister on his right middle finger that first flared up June 13 against Seattle.
“I had to change the grip on some of my pitches just to take a little of the sting away,” Marquis said. “But you still have to go out there and make pitches and get guys out. If you aren’t going to be out there battling and giving your team a chance to win, you shouldn’t be out there in the first place.”
That’s the kind of toughness that characterizes the Staten Island, N.Y., native. Still, he carries the rap that he’s a pitcher who loses steam in the second half of the season. Those around him don’t foresee Marquis running out of gas anytime soon.
“If today is any indication of what the second half is going to be like for Jason Marquis, we will take that,” manager Jim Tracy said. “He’s one of the best in our league when he’s pounding the strike zone early in the count like he was today.”
Of Marquis’ first 21 pitches, 19 were thrown for strikes. He threw a first-pitch strike to 14 of the first 17 batters he faced and 19 of 28 overall. He threw 96 total pitches, but needed a mere 62 in the first six innings. Marquis’ heavy sinker wrapped up Padres bats like a wet blanket, producing 16 groundball outs.
“Marquis is an all-star,” said Padres manager Bud Black, who has watched Marquis go 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA against his team this season. “The way he pitched today, you can see why. He was up and down and around the corners. He was around the plate without giving us any good pitches to hit.”
When Marquis arrived in Colorado in an offseason trade with the Chicago Cubs for reliever Luis Vizcaino, he came with a reputation as a good athlete with an all-business attitude. He continues to reinforce that reputation. He has pitched seven or more innings in 12 of 19 starts. In those 12 starts, he’s 11-0 and the team is 12-0.
San Diego scratched out a run off Marquis in the seventh, combining a leadoff double by Adrian Gonzalez, a single by Will Venable and a sacrifice fly by Kevin Kouzmanoff.
The Rockies broke the game open with a four-run sixth. Brad Hawpe’s opposite-field solo homer to left got the party started. It was his 15th of the season. Marquis’ two-run double to right-center was a nice bonus to his performance on the mound. His eight RBIs lead all Colorado pitchers.
By taking three of four from the Padres on the road, the Rockies opened their second half of the season with gusto, authenticating that they are, indeed, contenders.
With 70 games left in their season, the Rockies are eight games over .500 (50-42) and one-half game behind the Giants in the race for the NL wild card.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
TODAY: Diamondbacks at Rockies, 6:40 p.m., FSN
The Rockies are crossing their fingers that lefty Jorge De La Rosa (6-7, 5.21 ERA) will enter the same second-half zone he discovered last year when he went 7-3 with a 3.08 ERA in his final 14 appearances. He’s 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA in his last four starts. He has started twice against the Diamondbacks this season, going 1-1 with a 1.23 ERA. Arizona lefty Doug Davis (4-9, 3.41) is coming off a tough start against the Marlins, needing 99 pitches to get through four innings. Davis must be careful against Todd Helton. Colorado’s first baseman has gone 5-for-9 with a homer, three RBIs and three walks vs. Davis.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
Tuesday:
D-backs’ Max Scherzer (5-6, 3.64) vs. Rockies’ Aaron Cook (9-3, 3.85), 6:40 p.m., FSN
Wednesday:
D-backs’ Jon Garland (5-9, 4.45) vs. Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (7-9, 3.82), 1:10 p.m., FSN
Thursday:
Off
Friday:
Giants’ Matt Cain (11-2, 2.32) vs. Rockies’ Jason Marquis (12-6, 3.49), 7:10 p.m., FSN
Saturday:
Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez (3-8, 4.69) vs. Rockies’ Jason Hammel (5-4, 4.26), 6:10 p.m., FSN
