DENVER
Once Christian Bergman worked out the nervous energy, he settled in just fine.
Good thing, too, because Colorado needed him to pitch deep into the game after an extra-inning victory the night before.
Bergman worked into the seventh for his first major league win, and Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer, helping the Rockies beat the Miami Marlins 7-4 on Sunday.
Bergman (1-2) was reinstated from the disabled list earlier in the day after missing 51 games with a broken left hand. The right-hander gave up nine hits and four runs in his first start since June 20.
“We were strapped (Sunday), so we needed Bergman to go deep, and he did,” said manager Walt Weiss, whose team beat the Marlins in 13 innings Saturday.
Now Bergman just needs the game ball from his inaugural big league victory.
“I’m sure someone probably has it for me,” Bergman said, grinning. “This feels pretty good. It didn’t go exactly as planned. But it never does.”
Arenado kept up his torrid month by going 2-for-4, raising his average to .388 in August. He also was hit on the right elbow in the fifth but stayed in the game with what he described as a stinger.
Miami’s Brad Hand (2-6) settled down after giving up two early homers. But he lasted just 4 1/3 innings and was charged with four runs and nine hits.
“We left a few on base. You can’t do that in this park,” manager Mike Redmond said after the Marlins stranded eight runners. “Four runs in this ballpark isn’t enough.”
Charlie Blackmon took advantage of a lackadaisical play by Giancarlo Stanton in right to turn a routine single into a double in the sixth. Stanton nonchalantly fielded a roller through the infield and casually threw it toward the infield. Blackmon immediately rounded first and easily slid into second.
The heads-up play paid off when Blackmon scored on Drew Stubbs’ double to give the Rockies a 5-2 lead. Blackmon said the idea came to him the night before, watching Stanton play so deep in the outfield.
“He did the same thing today,” Blackmon said. “I timed it right and just kept going.”
The All-Star outfielder insisted he wasn’t caught off guard – it just was a hustle play by Blackmon.
His manager concurred.
“Blackmon came out of the box going hard. He took a chance and got to second,” Redmond said.
That insurance run would come in handy. The Marlins scored twice in the seventh on a run-scoring double by Jeff Baker and an RBI single for Stanton. Juan Nicasio kept the Rockies in front by recording the final two outs of the inning.
DJ LeMahieu then gave Colorado some breathing room with a two-run double in the seventh.
Arenado hit his 14th homer in the first. Two batters later, Michael McKenry hit a solo shot off Hand.
The Rockies have won five of their last seven games in their best stretch since mid-June.
Rockies rumpus
OF Michael Cuddyer (strained left hamstring) was placed on the DL for the third time this season. The NL batting champion also was out with a strained left hamstring in April and missed more than two months with a fractured left shoulder. “This year has been rough,” Cuddyer said. ... After nine in a row at Coors Field, the Rockies head to San Francisco on Monday. LHP Tyler Matzek (2-9, 5.38 earned-run average) will go for Colorado.
