The Sports Xchange
Jul 8, 2017
DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies collectively exhaled and wasted no time doing it when their sputtering offense instantly came alive Friday night.
Colorado scored four runs in the first inning and added two more in the second while pounding the Chicago White Sox 12-4.
The four-run first was the Rockies' biggest inning since they scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth on June 18 to beat San Francisco.
The victory was just fourth in 16 games for the Rockies, who had averaged 3.2 runs per game during their 3-12 slide and matched their season high in runs scored. It's the fourth time they have scored 12 runs. Colorado also reached a season-high with 17 hits.
DJ LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado, who had three hits and five RBIs, homered for the Rockies, who added to the road misery of White Sox starter Derek Holland. Blackmon had three hits, as did Gerardo Parra, who was reinstated Friday from the 10-disabled list after missing 28 games.
Pitcher German Marquez, who had two career hits in 25 at-bats, matched that total with a double, his first extra-base hit, and a single. He scored two runs, one more than he had scored in his career, trotting home on the two-run shots by LeMahieu and Arenado, who has had five games with five or more RBIs.
More importantly for the Rockies, Marquez (6-4) pitched well. After pitching six innings in just one of his past seven starts, Marquez worked seven innings, his longest outing since he pitched a career-high eight innings May 10 against the Chicago Cubs, and threw 73 of 102 pitches for strikes.
Marquez gave up nine hits and three runs in seven innings with no walk and five strikeouts while throwing a career-high 103 pitches. He gave up a two-run homer to Tim Anderson in the seventh that trimmed the Rockies' lead to 10-3.
Holland (5-9) is 1-5 with an 8.76 ERA in his past eight starts with 12 home runs allowed in 37 innings and is 0-4 with a 18.44 ERA in his past four road starts.
Aided by a four-run first, the Rockies built an 8-1 lead after five innings.
The first six Rockies reached base against Holland, who took the mound 0-3 with a 19.55 ERA (21 earned runs, 9 2/3 innings) in his past three road starts with eight homers allowed.
Arenado singled home a run after Blackmon walked and LeMahieu singled. With the bases loaded, Parra drove in a run with an infield single that ricocheted off Holland's glove toward second base. Trevor Story followed with a two-run single.
Marquez doubled down the left-field line to open the second inning and scored on LeMahieu's fourth homer. The double was the first career extra-base hit for Marquez.
Blackmon made it 7-1 when he hit his 19th home run with one out in the fourth. That was the final inning for Holland, who gave up seven runs and eight hits.
Raimel Tapia's two-out single in the fifth inning increased the Rockies' lead to 8-1. The hit scored Parra, who doubled with one out.
The White Sox manufactured a run in the second inning when Todd Frazier led off with a double, took third on a fly out and scored on a ground out.
NOTES: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (testicular cancer) will begin a rehab assignment July 13 at Double-A Hartford. He threw a two-inning simulated game Friday. ... Rockies C Ryan Hanigan was scratched from the lineup due to left trapezius muscle tightness. ... Rockies OF/1B Gerardo Parra (strained right quad) was reinstated and played for the Rockies for the first time since June 6. ... Rockies OF Mike Tauchman was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque. ... White Sox OF Avisail Garcia, who on Wednesday bruised his right middle finger, hopes to play Sunday. ... White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez (right shoulder inflammation) made his first rehab start with Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday night and threw 72 pitches in 4 2/3 innings while allowing three runs.