DENVER — Right-hander German Marquez’s sudden and jarring departure from Monday night’s game marred the Rockies’ 7-4 victory over the Cardinals at Coors Field.
Marquez, an all-star in 2021 and one of the most accomplished pitchers in franchise history, departed the mound with an apparent injury to his right arm. He was warming up before the sixth inning when he stopped throwing.
Manager Bud Black and head trainer Keith Dugger hurried out from the dugout as Marquez’s teammates huddled around him. Marquez, 28, appeared to be pointing to his right forearm as Black and Dugger talked to him. He walked slowly off the mound.
The Rockies were leading the Cardinals 4-2 when Marquez left the game. He started the game pitching very well, setting the Cardinals down in order in the first three innings. He departed having given up two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and no walks, improving his record to 2-1 and whittling his ERA to 4.41.
Marquez entered the game on the verge of setting two major milestones in Rockies history. He needed 10 strikeouts to tie Jorge De La Rosa (985 strikeouts) for the all-time franchise record, so he remains six short of that mark. But Marquez did pick up the win for the 65th victory of his career, passing Jeff Francis for third-most in franchise history.
Left-handed reliever Brent Suter replaced Marquez and pitched two shutout innings. And Justin Lawrence gave up one run in two frames. All told, the Cardinals managed just six hits.
The Rockies, meanwhile, beat up St. Louis pitching, churning out 13 hits.
Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar hit two doubles, the second one driving in a run in Colorado’s two-run sixth. Alan Trejo, who got the start at second base, went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. The three hits tied his career high, first set on Sept. 6 of last season vs. Milwaukee.
And third baseman Elehuris Montero whistled an RBI double down the right-field line in the fourth and then singled and scored a run in the sixth.
The overriding concern, of course, is the severity of Marquez’s injury. The Rockies starting rotation is already thin and the club was counting on Marquez, and lefty Kyle Freeland, to carry the load.
Marquez was hoping to rebound from a difficult 2022 season when he posted a 4.95 ERA across 31 starts, his highest ERA in any full season of his career. He set career-highs in runs allowed (185) and home runs (30).
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