MIAMI (AP) - Giancarlo Stanton made it interesting for Miami.
Stanton homered once, and nearly hit another in the ninth, but the Marlins’ rally fell short in a 6-5 loss Wednesday night to the Colorado Rockies.
“I was just happy we kept ourselves in the game and made a run at it,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.
Stanton stepped to the plate with two on and two out in the ninth against closer LaTroy Hawkins, who allowed a lead-off single to Adeiny Hechavarria and walked Derek Dietrich.
“You never want to see him walking to the plate to win the game, he’s a dangerous hitter, it’s well-documented,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “It was very uncomfortable with Stanton at the plate.”
Stanton almost ended the game when he hit a long foul ball down the left-field line.
“(The pitch) was in so I wasn’t worried that it was going to be fair,” Rockies catcher Jordan Pacheco said. “I’ve heard that sound before, I heard it a couple innings prior to that, but it worked out for us.”
Stanton said: “I should have got it a little deeper. It landed a lot further (foul) than when it went past the pole. It was pretty close.”
Two pitches later Stanton delivered an RBI single, pulling Miami within a run.
Garrett Jones popped out to third base to end the game, with Hawkins earning the save.
“Hawk grinded through the inning and got it done,” Weiss said.
Although the Marlins came up short, it was a positive sign for a team that won 62 games last year.
“That’s the difference from last year,” Stanton said. “That happened frequently, a sense of looking to tomorrow, we already lost. It’s good to keep going every game to the last out.”
Pacheco had three hits as the Rockies held on for their first win. Charlie Blackmon and Michael Cuddyer each had two hits for Colorado.
“I think we were saving them,” Pacheco said of the hits. “We faced two tough guys (Jose Fernandez and Nathan Eovaldi) at the beginning of the series and it’s bound to happen with this lineup. We have a bunch of guys who can hit.”
Rockies two-time All-Star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez left the game in the bottom of the sixth inning as a precaution due to dizziness, which began during the game without a particular incident.
“He’s OK, he wasn’t feeling too good and was a little dizzy,” Weiss said. “I think he’s fine, but he wasn’t feeling too good.”
Jordan Lyles (1-0) won his debut with the Rockies after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Houston Astros for Dexter Fowler. Lyles allowed four runs and five hits in five innings while striking out five and walking one.
“It was stressful, Hawk got his work in tonight, but our first win maybe we can get it going tomorrow and have a good homestand,” Lyles said. “Hopefully we’re heading in the right direction and put those first two games behind us.”
Colorado led 6-1 heading into the sixth inning before Stanton cut the deficit to 6-3 with a two-run home run to right field off Lyles.
“Everyone knows not to go away, I wanted to show him away one time and I shouldn’t have,” Lyles said. “He’s a strong guy.”
Reliever Adam Ottovino’s wild pitch brought Miami within 6-4 later in the sixth.
Henderson Alvarez (0-1), who pitched a no-hitter in his final start in 2013 against the Detroit Tigers, allowed five consecutive hits in the first inning, including an RBI double by Gonzalez and run-scoring singles by Justin Morneau and Pacheco.
The Rockies stretched their lead to 6-1 in the fourth, sparked by two errors and a wild pitch by Alvarez, which scored a run.
Kevin Slowey relieved Alvarez and immediately walked in a run. Cuddyer also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
“We gave them some extra outs and that probably was the difference in the game,” Redmond said.
Alvarez allowed six runs_three earned_and seven hits in three innings.
“What got me in trouble was leaving the ball up,” Alvarez said.
Slowey struck out five in four scoreless innings.
NOTES: Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado flashed his ability at third base in the fifth inning when he barehanded a slow-roller and threw out Hechavarria at first base. . Miami’s first replay challenge of the season was upheld when Redmond challenged a play at second base in the top of the fourth. . Marlins 3B Ed Lucas had left hand surgery on Wednesday and is expected to be out four to six weeks. . Miami RHP Jacob Turner will face Colorado LHP Franklin Morales on Thursday in the series finale.
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