MIAMI — This was no way to start a critical road trip. The Rockies arrived in south Florida well past midnight and were assaulted at Land Shark Stadium by stifling humidity and menacing pitcher Josh Johnson.
The Marlins’ ace turned Colorado into baseball’s version of the “Macarena,” a fleeting one-hit wonder for more than eight innings. But the Rockies reacted as if they had been paroled when he left the game. They created some drama in the ninth with Chris Iannetta’s three-run home run before falling 6-5 on Friday, leaving the Marlins two games behind them in the wild-card race.
“To have the tying run at the plate in our last at-bat, given how the night had gone to that point, I think that says everything you need to know about this team,” manager Jim Tracy said. “We didn’t go away quietly.”
Nope, but the Rockies watched the wild-card race get a little more cozy. Colorado holds a 1 1/2-game lead over the Giants and that two-game advantage over Florida.
The Marlins are surging. But they won’t have Johnson pitching tonight. He was the difference Friday. He mauled the Rockies, striking out eight of the first 12 batters he faced. He finished with a career-high 11 Ks, and didn’t allow a hit until Garrett Atkins’ home run with two outs in the seventh inning.
“It was like a video game. You press ‘A’ and he’d throw a 97 mph fastball on the corner. You press ‘B’ and it was a backdoor slider,” Marlins catcher John Baker said. “Their hitters weren’t saying much. They seemed pretty frustrated.”
Johnson was seeking the fifth no-hitter in Marlins’ history, which began to seem possible on a night when the Rockies fanned 15 times. Atkins hammered a 97 mph fastball into the left-field seats to end the bid, sitting dead red on a full count.
“As an offensive player, you never want to be involved in a no-hitter,” Atkins said. “That’s worse than a loss.”
The Rockies rallied in the ninth for four runs. Iannetta provided the big blast, a three-run homer to right field off closer Leo Nuñez. That brought pinch-hitter Todd Helton to the plate. He flied out to center field for the final out.
“We made it close,” Helton said. “But that’s not good enough.”
Had Jason Hammel pitched better, the Rockies might have slithered away with a win. He lasted just four innings, walking four batters, among them Johnson on four pitches when all he wanted to do was bunt. Hammel was unavailable for comment afterward, leaving the park due to a death in his family. He is not expected to rejoin the club until Tuesday.
“I need to see improvement. I need to see better. And I know he needs to see better,” Apodaca said. “It’s not all mechanics sometimes. You have to believe in your stuff in the strike zone.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
Looking ahead
Aaron Cook (10-4, 3.93 ERA) has passed every test but the bar exam in order to make this start. He played catch, threw a side session and experienced no problems with his sprained right big toe. He will be working on eight days’ rest, so his arm might be too strong early on with his sinker. Cook must be careful with Hanley Ramirez (5-for-10 against him). Rick VandenHurk (2-1, 4.15) has worked six innings only twice in his last 15 starts. Troy E. Renck, The Denver Post
Sunday: Rockies’ Jorge De La Rosa (10-8, 4.78 ERA) vs. Marlins’ Chris Volstad (8-9, 4.71), 3:05 p.m.
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenez (10-9, 3.47) vs. Nationals’ Craig Stammen (3-6, 5.24), 5:05 p.m., FSN
Wednesday: Rockies’ Jason Marquis (13-8, 3.55) vs. Nationals’ Collin Balester (1-2, 6.00), 5:05 p.m., FSN
Thursday: Rockies’ Jason Hammel (7-7, 4.73) vs. Nationals’ Garrett Mock (2-4, 5.27), 5:05 p.m., FSN
