 also picked up his major league hit on a line-drive single to left in the fifth.The Rockies threatened in the ninth when former Miami starter Wei-Yin Chen surrendered a leadoff double to Charlie Blackmon and walked David Dahl. Chen, in the fourth year of an $80 million, five-year contract, left to a chorus of boos from the crowd of 7,559.Sergio Romo came in and retired three in a row for his first save with the Marlins, finishing a five-hitter.Colorado right-hander Jon Gray departed after he felt discomfort after a pitch to Alcantara with two out in the seventh. Gray (0-1) struck out 10 and was charged with three runs and five hits.Alfaro hit a two-run single in the fourth and JT Riddle went deep in the sixth. It was Riddle's second of the season and No. 5 for the Marlins - all solo shots.Colorado star Nolan Arenado went 0 for 4, snapping his 12-game hitting streak that carried over from last season.Sunday's attendance, added to the combined crowds of 14,145 Friday and Saturday, failed to surpass the opening total of 25,423.TRAINER'S ROOM:Rockies: 1B Daniel Murphy will see a hand specialist in Arizona on Monday for further evaluation of his fractured left index finger. Murphy got hurt in the Rockies' 6-1 win over Miami on Friday. Murphy, who signed a two-year contract with the Rockies in the offseason, will be sidelined indefinitely.Marlins: OF Garrett Cooper has been placed on the injured list because of a strained left calf. Cooper got hurt during Friday's game and pinch-hit on Saturday. OF Peter O'Brien was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Chad Bettis pitches Monday against Tampa Bay.Marlins: LHP Caleb Smith will make his season debut when Miami faces the New York Mets on Monday. LHP Steven Matz starts for the Mets.)
Absent Murphy, Rockies seek series win vs. Marlins The Colorado Rockies, who have won two of the first three games in their season-opening series against the host Miami Marlins, didn't enjoy a hot start last season.Colorado sat four games under .500 last June 27, but the Rockies turned things around with a 17-6 July, broke even in August and made the playoffs for the second straight year with a strong September (19-9).The Rockies looked good in their first two games this season before Miami broke out with 16 hits during a 7-3 win on Saturday.On Saturday, the Rockies were without first baseman Daniel Murphy, for whom X-rays revealed a broken left index finger after he jammed it while making a diving fielding play on Friday.Defense is a point of emphasis this season for the Rockies. Case in point was the homer-saving catch made on Friday by center fielder Ian Desmond, who jumped to grab a smash hit by Miami's Lewis Brinson."I got fish-tanked again," Brinson said in a reference to the deep dimensions of Marlins Park. "I thought I got (a homer), but Ian made a great play." Rockies reliever DJ Johnson was trying to hold a 2-1 Colorado lead when Brinson hit his shot to right-center in the eighth inning. When Johnson saw Desmond make his catch, the pitcher clapped and pointed toward his teammate, who had fallen after colliding with the wall.Later, in the dugout, Johnson gave Desmond a hug."A big thank you," Johnson said. "It was a big moment." Moving Desmond -- who was the Washington Nationals' starting shortstop for seven years -- to center field was a big decision for Colorado.Desmond first played center field on a regular basis in 2016, when he was acquired by the Texas Rangers. The Rockies acquired Desmond in 2017, when he mostly played left field, and he was used primarily at first base last year.This season, Desmond, 33, is the oldest starting center fielder in the majors, and his availability convinced the Rockies to move 2017 batting champ Charlie Blackmon, 32, to right field. Blackmon had been Colorado's full-time center fielder the past four years, enjoying tremendous success.But the Rockies feel that this configuration -- with the righty-hitting Desmond in center flanked by lefty swingers Blackmon and David Dahl -- gives them the best chance at success, and, so far, the plan is working.Miami, which won the season series against Colorado 4-2 last year, is projected to finish in last place after earning just 63 victories in 2018. Last year, Miami went 10-18 in March/April and 10-18 in May. The rest of the season followed those same lines, with no winning months.On Sunday, in the series finale, the Rockies will send right-hander Jon Gray to the mound against Marlins righty Sandy Alcantara.Gray, 27, has double-figure wins in each of his three major league seasons. A former Oklahoma Sooners pitcher, Gray had made Colorado's Opening Day start in each of the past two seasons and is already second in franchise history with 12 double-figure strikeout games.Still, he slumped to a career-worst 5.12 ERA last year, which is why he is now No. 3 in the Colorado rotation.Gray's history against Miami is mixed -- 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA in five starts.Alcantara, a 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, broke into the majors in 2017, pitching eight games, all in relief, for the St. Louis Cardinals with a 4.32 ERA.Last season, he made his Marlins debut and was strictly a starter, sporting a 2-3 record and a 3.44 ERA in six games. He went 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three Marlins Park starts.Alcantara, who has never faced Colorado, has a fastball that averaged 95.5 mph last season and can tick up to 100.--Field Level Media
Looking for More Picks?
You can browse all the individual handicapper picks below.
Colorado Rockies
Miami Marlins
Pick Center
MLB
FINAL (3/31/2019)
SportsBettingPros
