Yuli Gurriel has four hits to help Marlins rout Rockies
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DENVER (AP) — Yuli Gurriel had four hits, Sandy Alcantara limited Colorado to two runs in six innings and the Miami Marlins beat the Rockies 10-2 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Alcantara (2-5) put together one of his best outings in what has been a difficult season, striking out three and allowing his second-fewest runs this season.
“This is a hard place to throw your best and to command the ball," Alcantara said. “I just tried to throw strikes.”
“The stuff’s there and he could end up finding it as the season moves forward," Rockies manager Bud Black said of Alcantara. "He’s a guy I don’t know and don’t see a lot, but the weapons are there. The arm’s there. The delivery’s there.”
Major league hitting leader Luis Arraez doubled in two runs in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Marlins a 5-1 lead.
Jonathan Davis was 3 for 4 with a solo homer a day after being called up from Triple-A Jacksonville.
“It meant the world, man," Davis said. "I’ve gotten some opportunities in the past and just to be able to come up here and contribute and be able to do the job and get the win, it’s awesome.”
Jorge Soler hit his team-leading 14th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field.
Jacob Stallings had two doubles and an RBI. The Marlins catcher was batting just .127 with three extra-base hits in his first 23 games this season. In addition to his four hits, Gurriel had two runs and an RBI.
“We’re going to try to be creative as much as we can because that bat, for me, is real,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said about Gurriel. "Our staff loves him in the lineup. It’s just a different look. He’s going to put it in play hard somewhere, whether it’s a hit or not. I love where he’s at.”
The victory was a rare blowout for the Marlins, whose previous nine games had been decided by two runs or fewer.
In his second career MLB start, Rockies right-hander Karl Kauffmann (0-2) gave up five earned runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings, with all five runs and five of the six hits coming in his final 1 1/3 innings.
“One of the most important things for me is the feeling that I belong here," Kauffmann said. "Those first few innings I’ve had the past couple of outings kind of reiterates that to me. Now, it’s just trying to find a way to make those adjustments and get those hitters out the third time through.”
Elias Diaz, who came into the matchup second to Arraez in batting average, homered for the Rockies. With an RBI double in the first inning, Jurickson Profar extended his on-base streak to 32 games, the longest active streak in the majors.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: Arraez left the game in the eighth inning with a left leg cramp, a move that was described as precautionary. “With a six- or seven-run lead at the time, I didn’t really feel like I needed to push him," Schumaker said.
UP NEXT
Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (4-5, 3.88 ERA) will face Marlins left-hander Braxton Garrett (1-2, 4.60 ERA) on Thursday.
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