'My home for life': Márquez emotional in potential final start at Coors

DENVER -- Germán Márquez bent at the mound in a gesture of relief and thankfulness.

The Angels’ Denzer Guzman drove what likely was Márquez’s final pitch in Rockies purple at Coors Field all the way to the left-field wall, but Jordan Beck made the catch to complete the seventh inning. Thus ended a solid five-strikeout, two-run, four-hit effort -- albeit in a 3-0 loss.

“It was special because I didn’t want the score to get too big -- just wanted to keep the score right there,” Márquez said, before acknowledging that it was more than the two-run deficit at the time that had him near tears in the dugout.

Márquez is scheduled for one more start, on the road at San Francisco, before he enters free agency as the Rockies’ all-time leader in strikeouts with 1,068. He also ranks third in club history in innings pitched (1,142) and wins (68).

“It was very, very emotional,” Márquez said. “It may have been the last game that I throw as a Rockie at Coors Field. I don’t know. I’ve got one more start.

“I was thinking about that the whole game. This is my home. I’ve been here for my whole career. I feel happy. I feel free here. But it’s baseball, and I need to see what’s going to happen.”

The general baseball world will remember Saturday for expected future Hall of Famer Mike Trout’s 400th career home run -- a Statcast-projected 485-footer off reliever Jaden Hill in the eighth that ranks as the 10th-longest homer in Coors history.

In Rockies World, it’s time to celebrate the career of a pitcher who immediately thrived. Then, down to the last pitch, he survived as always.

“He means a lot to a lot of people -- just his tenure here,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “That’s special. That’s important. I’m just really thankful for his presence.”

Márquez’s standout career took a hit in 2023, when he sustained a right elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery. He made just one start last year. He struggled mightily early, but for a two-month period -- May 11-July 11 -- he flashed his old form, with a 3.58 ERA, and 53 strikeouts against 19 walks in 65 1/3 innings.

Had Márquez not sustained right shoulder tightness during a July 20 start against the Twins, he likely would have been sent to a contender at the Trade Deadline. Until Saturday, his re-entry was rough -- 0-3, 12.96 ERA in four starts, with two starts without a strikeout. He had never gone strikeout-less in any career start.

“My arm felt good today,” he said. “The velo was there and that’s the difference, between 96 and 93.”

On Saturday, Márquez yielded solo shots to Taylor Ward to open the second inning and Nolan Schanuel to open the sixth. It was a solid-enough performance, except Angels starter Kyle Hendricks limited the Rockies to three hits and struck out five in seven frames. Colorado loaded the bases in the ninth against Luis García, but Jordan Beck grounded into a double play. The Rockies absorbed their club-record and Major League-high 17th shutout.

The Rockies acquired Márquez from the Rays prior to the 2016 season, with outfielder Cory Dickerson being the main player sent the other way. Veteran reliever Jake McGee was the proven Major Leaguer the Rockies received, but club officials gave sly smiles and nods when discussing Márquez, a power pitcher around whom the future rotation could be built.

Márquez debuted with 20 2/3 innings late in ‘16. In ‘17, he joined fellow rookies Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela in a rotation that also included Jon Gray and Tyler Anderson. The Rockies made the postseason in ‘17 and ‘18 -- the only time they’ve had consecutive trips in a history that began in 1993.

A key driver of the rotation was Márquez, who went 41-29 with a 4.21 ERA from 2017-20, but was at his best during the first half of the ‘21 season. Márquez was 8-6 with a 3.36 ERA in 19 first-half starts -- including an 8-0 victory over the Pirates on June 19, when he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before Ka’ai Tom knocked the only hit off him, a leadoff single. It was the second one-hitter for Márquez, who accomplished the feat against the Giants in a 4-0 victory on April 14, 2019.

Márquez represented the Rockies in the 2021 All-Star Game -- at Coors.

“Man, being here, I love Denver,” Márquez said. “I love Coors Field -- the fans, my teammates. There is a lot of history behind you. Good people, good teammates.

“This is going to be my home for life.”