Marlins playing role of spoiler
Miami wins to slow Rockies’ NL wild-card drive.
DENVER — The Miami Marlins are reduced to the role of spoiler in the Colorado Rockies’ playoff chase.
Good thing for Milwau- kee and St. Louis, they’ve embraced it.
Miguel Rojas had a career- high four RBIs and the Marlins held off Colorado 5-4 on Monday night, cutting the Rockies’ lead for the second NL wild card to 1½ games over the Brewers.
“We’re trying to play the best baseball that we can because it’s really important not just for us but for the whole league,” said shortstop Rojas.
“I feel this is kind of going to get us ready for what we want to accomplish in the next couple years.”
With five games remaining, the Rockies have lost six of eight and are cling- ing to a postseason spot as they seek their first playoff berth since 2009.
Monday marked a missed opportunity to extend their advantage over the idle Brewers as well as St. Louis.
The Cardinals remained 2½ games back after a 10-2 loss to the Cubs earlier Monday.
“We’re not out of it yet,” Colorado catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. “Not even close. We have five games left.
“We have five games we can win and we’re still in this thing.”
Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton went hitless in five at-bats and remained at 57 homers.
J.T. Realmuto had two hits and drove in a run for Miami.
Odrisamer Despaigne (1-3) allowed two runs in six innings
The Miami right-hander improving to 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA in seven career appearances against the Rockies.
“This is actually one of my favorite parks to pitch in,” said Despaigne, who has won both his career starts at Coors Field.
“Some of my best results have come in this park. I know the altitude affects the ball, but I pitch well here.”
Colorado rallied from a 5-1 deficit but failed to get a big hit late.
After Gerardo Parra’s ground out in the sixth and Lucroy’s solo homer in the seventh, the Rockies loaded the bases with one out.
Nolan Arenado hit a sacrifice fly to pull Colorado to 5-4 before Mark Reynolds fouled out to end the inning.
Kyle Barraclough walked Lucroy to start the ninth inning but recovered for his first major league save when Charlie Blackmon lined into a game-ending double play.
Colorado manager Bud Black said the Rockies will have to come through in those situations if they hope to reach the postseason.
“It’s going to take that key hit in a critical moment,” he said.
Arenado’s was his 127th of the year, which surpassed Stanton (126) for the MLB lead.
Blackmon also drove in a run for the Rockies.
Earlier, the Marlins got five straight hits in a four- run fourth against starter Tyler Chatwood (8-14). Rojas capped the burst with a three-run double to put Miami up 4-0.
Rain delayed the start by 26 minutes.
Stanton’s catch
Stanton kept the Rock- ies off the scoreboard with a run-saving catch in the third inning.
The slugging right fielder raced toward the right-center wall, made a leaping catch and held on despite sandwiching center fielder Christian Yelich into the wall.
The two tumbled to the ground but immediately got to their feet, laughing as they jogged to the dugout.
Earlier in the inn i ng, Lucroy was credited with a triple after Stanton dove and missed his sharp liner, which rolled all the way to the corner.