COL 4, MIA 3: Marlins blow late lead, losing streak pushed to eight games

Up by three runs against the Colorado Rockies in the seventh inning, the Miami Marlins were eight outs away from snapping a season-long seven-game losing streak. 

Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait at least one more day. 

Rockies right fielder Nolan Jones hit a three-run home run off Marlins reliever J.T. Chargois halfway up the second deck in right field. Just like that, their first win since July 9 was in peril. 

The Rockies subsequently scored the go-ahead run in the ninth on a Randal Grichuk RBI single in the ninth off Tanner Scott. Scott, who had been the Marlins setup man this year in front of closing pitcher A.J. Puk, had been given the ninth-inning role on Saturday, with Puk pitching a perfect eighth. 

“Puk has not lost his closing role,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “There's just certain pockets I want Tanner in. You know, higher leverage. Like the (Elias) Diaz, (Ryan) McMahon, the 3-4-5 hole, that I felt—this series, at least—was better suited for Scott over Puk. I talked to him about it a couple days ago to let him know that was the decision only if that pocket comes up. Otherwise it would’ve been flipped and Puk would’ve had the ninth.”

Perhaps the most frustrating part of this loss was the wasting of a very productive start from Johnny Cueto. The 37-year-old was making his first start since early April where he allowed four runs over one inning before leaving with an injury to his right biceps. Coupled with an ankle injury during a rehab start, Cueto had a 10.24 ERA over seven rehab starts between Double-A and Triple-A.

Cueto allowed zero runs in six innings on Saturday, being pulled after allowing a single to open the seventh inning (he was charged with one when Chargois allowed one of his inherited runners to score in the seventh).

Cueto racked up eight strikeouts and 17 whiffs, 14 of those coming off his fastball. He had just one whiff in 50 pitches during his most recent rehab appearance last week.

The Marlins offense got to an early lead thanks to a Joey Wendle RBI single in the second inning, followed by a Luis Arraez RBI triple and Jorge Soler sacrifice fly in the fifth. But it still felt like they left runs on the board.

Garrett Cooper and Jon Berti each grounded into inning-ending double plays in the seventh and ninth innings, respectively. The Marlins lead the majors with 105 double plays grounded into this season, averaging more than one per game.

The Marlins will send Jesús Luzardo to the mound on Sunday afternoon in an attempt to salvage the series finale.