MIAMI – Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss declined to blame his team’s feeble showing Thursday on a long flight and short night’s sleep.
Instead, he blamed David Phelps.
The Miami Marlins right-hander, rocked by the Rockies last week, pitched a career-high eight innings to beat Colorado 6-0.
The loss started a six-game trip for the Rockies, who totaled just five hits.
“Travel might have been a bit of a factor,” Weiss said. “More of a factor was Phelps’ pinpoint command of his fastball. He was in total control.”
Chris Rusin (2-1), who beat Phelps last week, gave up 11 hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings. Giancarlo Stanton drove in four runs against Rusin with his 22nd homer and a 40-foot single, and the Marlins broke a three-game losing.
“I just didn’t hit my spots,” Rusin said. “The ball was up this time. The last time I kept the ball down and had movement. Today I didn’t.”
Phelps (3-3) allowed four hits and one walk. Five days earlier, he gave up nine runs at Colorado.
“I like to think I learned what not to do last time out,” he said. “I didn’t make a whole lot of quality pitches last time. That’s what I was really focusing on tonight, and it paid off.”
The Rockies’ Corey Dickerson, activated before the game from the disabled list, had two hits in four at-bats. Troy Tulowitzki had a single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Nolan Arenado and D.J. LeMahieu hit deep flyouts that likely would have been homers at Coors Field.
“This is a real big yard,” Weiss said. “It’s tough to leave here. We hit a few balls hard, but Phelps was in control.”
Arenado said the long flight to Miami didn’t help.
“We maybe didn’t have as much energy as we would have liked,” he said.
Stanton came into the game leading the majors in home runs and RBIs, and he pulled a liner into the Rockies bullpen for a three-run homer in the first inning.
“We’ve all seen his home runs,” Weiss said. “They’re pretty impressive.”
Stanton drove in another run in the second with two-out swinging bunt that rolled to a stop on the foul line. He has 13 homers and 41 RBIs in 35 career games against Colorado.
Jeff Baker hit his third homer, Christian Yelich drove in a run with his first triple, and Marcell Ozuna singled to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
Miami shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, batting leadoff for the first time this year, had three hits, stole a base and scored a run. He also charged a grounder and made an acrobatic throw while airborne and horizontal to rob Nick Hundley of a hit.
The Marlins’ big offensive show came without major league batting leader Dee Gordon, who was given the night off.
