DENVER (AP) — Hard-throwing German Marquez started with eight straight strikeouts to match a modern-era big league record, and the Colorado Rockies routed the Philadelphia Phillies 14-0 on Wednesday night to pad their lead for the NL’s final wild-card spot.
Colorado outscored the Phillies by 34-4 over the first three games of the four-game series. David Dahl homered for the third straight game, and the Rockies went deep four times in all as they extending their winning streak to six.
Colorado opened a 1½-game advantage over St. Louis for the last NL playoff berth and also remains in contention to win its first NL West title. The Rockies trailed the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by a half-game entering the night.
Marquez (14-10) allowed three hits in seven innings and struck out 11 to set a Rockies record with 221 for the season, seven more than Ubaldo Jimenez’s total in 2010.
By striking out his first eight batters, he tied a post-1900 mark set by Houston’s Jim Deshaies on Sept. 23, 1986, and equaled by the New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom on Sept. 15, 2014. The overall record of nine was set by New York’s Mickey Welch in an NL game on Aug. 28, 1884.
Phillies pitcher Nick Pivetta finally broke the string with a grounder that Marquez fielded only to throw wildly to first for an error. Roman Quinn got Philadelphia’s first hit in the fourth.
Trevor Story finished a double shy of the cycle. Charlie Blackmon went 0 for 4, ending his 17-game hitting streak.
Colorado open the game with a seven-run fifth that included Dahl’s three-run homer, a two-run shot from Story and another two-run homer by Ian Desmond. All seven runs were scored with two outs.
Pivetta (7-14) allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings and has not won since Aug. 7 at Arizona. Philadelphia (78-80) has lost a season-high seven straight and is 15-32 since moving a season-high 15 games over .500 on Aug. 5.
CARGO’S BIG NIGHT
Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez had two hits and drove in two runs. He’s hitting .363 in his career against the Phillies.
Gonzalez also chipped in with a play in the field. With two outs in the fourth and Quinn on first, Dylan Cozens delivered a single to right that Gonzalez quickly relayed to Story, who twirled and threw out Quinn at the plate.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: INF J.P. Crawford is dealing with a right shoulder impingement. ... C Wilson Ramos was out of the lineup with a sore wrist. ... RHP Zach Eflin has a strained left oblique.
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (sore shoulder) played an “aggressive game of catch today,” MGR Bud Black said. “We are encouraged about where Tyler is.” Anderson’s start Monday was scratched. ... Story said his sore elbow feels fine. “Nobody’s 100 percent,” he said.
UP NEXT
Colorado’s RHP Antonio Senzatela (6-6, 4.52 ERA) starts Thursday against RHP Jake Arrieta (10-10, 3.94), who is 2-2 in his career against the Rockies.
