Paulino, Johnson push Marlins by Rockies
July 22, 2010
MIAMI (AP)—Ronny Paulino(notes) hit the winning single with the bases loaded and noneout in the ninth inning Thursday, and the Florida Marlins beat the ColoradoRockies 3-2.
Florida’s Josh Johnson(notes) struck out 11 in 6 1-3 innings and allowed only onerun, on a homer by Ian Stewart(notes) in the second inning. Johnson lowered his ERA to1.61, best in the majors.
Series at a Glance Colorado 8 Florida 9 Mon, Jul 19 – Final Colorado 10 Florida 0 Tue, Jul 20 – Final Colorado 2 Florida 5 Wed, Jul 21 – Final Colorado 2 Florida 3 Thu, Jul 22 – Final
The walkoff win was the second in the series for the Marlins, who won threeof the four games. Pinch hitter Donnie Murphy(notes) hit a game-ending two-run homerMonday.
The Rockies fell to 2-5 since the All-Star break. They face an All-Star onthe road for the second consecutive game Friday—Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay(notes).
On a sunny, 89-degree day, Johnson threw 120 pitches and departed with a 2-1lead. He has not allowed more than two runs in his past 13 starts, and has goneat least six innings in 18 consecutive starts.
Colorado tied the game in the eighth, but Leo Nunez(notes) (4-2) struck out theside in the ninth.
Pinch hitter Emilio Bonifacio(notes) hit his first triple of the year to start thebottom of the ninth against Jhoulys Chacin(notes) (5-8), who then gave up twointentional walks to load the bases. With the infield drawn in, Paulino singledsharply on the first pitch, drawing one final roar from the crowd of 29,102 on“camp day,” the Marlins’ best home attendance since May 1.
The Marlins caught a lucky break that kept them from falling behind in theseventh. Reliever Jose Veras(notes) snared a sharp liner by Seth Smith(notes) with two out,the bases loaded and Florida leading 2-1.
Colorado tied the game in the eighth when Jonathan Herrera(notes) led off with adouble against Clay Hensley(notes) and scored on Jason Giambi’s(notes) single. Hensley hit thenext batter but kept the score tied with the help of a double-play grounder byStewart.
The Rockies ended Johnson’s afternoon with one out in the seventh, when RyanSpilborghs(notes) doubled and took third on a bloop single by Miguel Olivo(notes).
Veras struck out Clint Barmes(notes) and walked pinch hitter Brad Hawpe(notes) to load thebases. Smith hit a sharp liner up the middle, and Veras reached up to snare theball in his web for the third out.
Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa(notes) allowed only three hits and two runs insix innings.
Stewart hit his 13th homer—only the fifth allowed by Johnson this season—and that was the Rockies’ lone hit until the fifth.
Gaby Sanchez(notes) doubled home a run for Florida in the first, and Cody Ross(notes) hithis eighth homer in the second.
Notes: Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez(notes) was held out of the starting lineup foronly the fourth time this season. He’s 4 for 23 since the All-Star break.Sanchez took his spot in the order, batting third for the first time thisseason. … Rockies CF Carlos Gonzalez(notes) is day to day with a bruised left indexfinger that forced him out of Wednesday’s game. … Also out of the startinglineup was RF Hawpe, who is in a 2-for-17 slump. … Colorado RHP Aaron Cook(notes),scheduled to start Friday at Philadelphia, is 1-5 against the Phillies with a5.70 ERA. … Florida improved to 9-2 in home day games.