Liam Hicks powered the Miami Marlins to another big night at the plate, driving in four runs and homering as part of a 9-7 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday that sealed a three-game sweep at Coors Field.
Hicks matched a career high with four RBI and belted his sixth homer of the season, while Otto Lopez and Heriberto Hernández also went deep for Miami. The Marlins pounded out 34 hits across the series, continuing their offensive surge and keeping themselves within six games of the New York Mets in the race for the final National League wild-card spot.
Former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara (10-12) delivered another strong outing, striking out eight and allowing three runs over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander has been sharp over his last 11 starts, going 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA after a rocky first half of the season in which he struggled to a 4-9 record with a 7.14 ERA.
Miami built its lead in the third inning when Hicks and Lopez launched back-to-back home runs to erase a 2-1 deficit and put the Marlins ahead 4-2. The Rockies never regained the lead.
Colorado (51-112) did not go down quietly, however. Rookie Blaine Crim homered twice—his first multi-homer game in just his 11th major league appearance—while Mickey Moniak extended his home run streak to four games with a two-run shot in the ninth. The Rockies plated four runs in the final frame, pulling within two and bringing the tying run to the plate. But reliever Calvin Faucher induced a groundout from Jordan Beck to secure his 14th save.
The loss marked the Rockies’ 112th of the season, the most by a National League team since divisional play began in 1969, surpassing the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks’ 111 defeats. Colorado has now dropped five straight, 11 of 12, and 22 of its last 26.
Tanner Gordon (6-7) took the loss for Colorado, allowing four runs (three earned) over six innings.
Hicks and Lopez hitting back-to-back homers in the third inning flipped the momentum and gave Miami a lead it never relinquished. Colorado’s 112th loss sets a new low for NL teams in the modern era of divisional play.
Marlins: RHP Janson Junk (6-3, 4.48 ERA) will open a series at Texas against RHP Tyler Mahle (6-3, 2.34) on Friday. Rockies: RHP Bradley Blalock (1-5, 9.00 ERA) will start against the visiting Los Angeles Angels, who have yet to announce their starter.
