MIAMI – Jorge De La Rosa snapped a losing streak and set a franchise record for wins.
The 34-year-old left-hander became the Colorado Rockies’ career leader in victories Sunday, pitching seven innings to prevent a four-game sweep and beat the Miami Marlins 4-1.
De La Rosa improved to 73-47 with the Rockies, surpassing Aaron Cook, who went 72-68.
“I’m excited to win all those games for this team,” De La Rosa said. “I hope I can do more.”
Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado homered to give the Rockies a 3-0 lead in the first inning. That was one more run than they totaled while losing first three games of the series.
De La Rosa (4-2) pitched around four walks and two errors, allowing one run to lower his earned-run average to 4.91. The Rockies, who broke a four-game losing streak, have won De La Rosa’s past five starts after he was slowed by injuries early in the season.
Three relievers combined to complete a five-hitter, and John Axford struck out the side in the ninth for his 12th save in as many chances. After throwing the final pitch, Axford fetched the ball and gave it to De La Rosa as a souvenir.
De La Rosa’s career victory total doesn’t exactly rival Walter Johnson’s 417 wins with the Washington Senators, but the Rockies ace has endured a lot in his career, pitching for 16 minor league teams and returning from Tommy John surgery in 2011.
“When he’s right and gets on a roll, this is how he throws,” manager Walt Weiss said. “He looked like vintage Jorge.”
Dan Haren (6-3) bounced back after the rough first inning, but by then the damage was done. He allowed three runs in six innings.
“As it turned out, Haren settled in pretty well, and those runs really made the difference in the game,” Blackmon said. “We got him early before he got a good feel.”
Blackmon homered to start a game for the fourth time in his career, giving the Rockies their first lead since Tuesday. Four batters later, Arenado hit his 16th homer following a walk.
It was the first time since Aug. 15 that the Marlins gave up more than one homer in a game at spacious Marlins Park.
“I know the Rockies have been struggling to score runs,” Haren said, “but their lineup is very good, and it has hit me well in the past.”
The Marlins scored in the seventh on pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki’s two-out run-scoring single, but they went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors in home runs and RBIs, went 1 for 3 with a broken-bat single and a walk.
Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki went 0-for-2 with two walks, snapping his 12-game hitting streak, which was the longest active streak in the majors.
