by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Coors Field, Denver, CO
Where to watch: Bally Sports Florida, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: NL
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record
Marlins: 19-27
Rockies: 22-26
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Marlins - Rockies preview and analysis
It was a good run while it lasted for the Miami Marlins. Now, we’re seeing them come back to Earth hard and I’m not sure if we should be accepting the status quo or angry that the offense has dried up at the worst possible time. Maybe a combination of both, because the pitching is surely not the problem up to this point.
Marlins ace Pablo Lopez continued his red-hot start to the season by throwing six scoreless innings and striking out five. But the Marlins’ bullpen faltered the moments Lopez exited the game, giving up four runs in the seventh and three in the eighth in a 7-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Monday.
It was Miami’s eighth loss in 10 games and the offense has failed to score more than four runs in those eight losses. In the wins, they only scored four runs each. The bats not named Jazz Chisholm have not been hitting well and it’s shown.
Miami’s lone run of the day, however, was a memorable one. Jesus Sanchez hit the longest homer of the season in the top of the second inning, a 496-foot blast to give the Marlins a lead they couldn’t protect or add on to.
"I hit it right there in the sweet spot," Sánchez said through an interpreter. "The feeling was great, just incredible."
That blast was one of only five Miami hits, which means it was likely the only blemish on Ryan Feltner’s first ever win as an MLB pitcher. Feltner threw seven innings and struck out six in 94 pitches.
"He was aggressive, right from the get-go with some good fastballs," Rockies manager Bud Black said of Feltner. "I thought his breaking ball today was as sharp as I've seen it. He did great. He threw well. He deserved that."
Yonathan Daza had a three-run double in the seventh to give Colorado the lead, and then added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth to cap a rather eventful last few innings for the Rockies.
"I was glad Bud Black put me in that situation, gave me that opportunity and I did my job," said Daza, who finished with four RBI after adding a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth. "It was a changeup. I think I was a little out front, but I was still thinking in the middle (of the field) and I think that approach helped me."
This series was a battle of teams that have fallen off hard since their hot starts, and there’s really no realistic way of telling them to go back to do that. What I can ultimately say is if there was to be a winner, it would go to the better pitching. I did not expect Miami to hold on to that.
Prediction
The Marlins haven’t named a starter yet at the time of publishing, but German Marquez is going to have to do much better in this situation to give the Rockies a chance, and I think he will given how silent the Miami bats have looked. Rockies win 6-3
Betting trends
Marlins are 3-10 against NL West teams this season.
Marlins are 52-84 on the road the past three seasons.
Rockies are 5-5 this season when the line is between +125 and -125.
Projected lineup
Marlins:
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 2B
Garrett Cooper (R) DH
Jorge Soler (R) LF
Joey Wendle (L) 3B
Jesus Aguilar (R) 1B
Avisail Garcia (R) RF
Jesus Sanchez (L) CF
Miguel Rojas (R) SS
Jacob Stallings (R) C
SP - TBD
Rockies:
Charlie Blackmon (L) RF
Connor Joe (R) 1B
C.J. Cron (R) DH
Ryan McMahon (L) 3B
Randal Grichuk (R) CF
Brendan Rodgers (R) 2B
Sam Hilliard (L) LF
Garrett Hampson (R) SS
Brian Serven (R) C
SP - German Marquez
Statistical leaders
Marlins:
Batting average: Garrett Cooper – .277
Hits: Two tied – 41
Home runs: Jorge Soler – 11
RBI: Jazz Chisholm – 27
Wins: Sandy Alcantara – 5
Saves: Anthony Bender – 6
ERA: Pablo Lopez – 1.83
Rockies:
Batting average: Jose Iglesias – .317
Hits: C.J. Cron – 58
Home runs: C.J. Cron – 13
RBI: C.J. Cron – 37
Wins: Chad Kuhl – 4
Saves: Daniel Bard – 11
ERA: Chad Kuhl – 3.56
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
