Chen crumbles, but Marlins win 9-6

Starters Tyler Chatwood and Wei-Yin Chen made brief, disappointing appearances.  Chatwood left in the first and Chen was gone by the third, but Miami's bullpen outplayed Colorado's and the Marlins edged the Rockies in a wild one, 9-6.

In the top of the first, Chen surrendered a hit but no home runs.  He also managed an early strike-out.  This promising start paved the way for an early lead when, after Chatwood walked Martin Prado and Christian Yelich sent him to third on a single to right, Marcell Ozuna popped one deep enough to score Prado.  Giancarlo Stanton sent Yelich to third on a hit nearly identical to Yelich's, but Chatwood fanned Justin Bour for one of his two strike-outs.

In the bottom of the second, Chatwood struggled to rein his arm in and loaded the bases with the help of a wild pitch.  Because of back spasms, Chatwood was replaced by Eddie Butler, who was recently relegated to the bullpen.  Yelich immediately singled to center, scoring Adeiny Hechavarria and Derek Dietrich to make it a three-run lead.

Thru five outs and 48 pitches, Chatwood allowed three runs on four hits and walked two.  Yet this pitching change seemed to revive the Colorado offense.  For one inning, at least.  In the bottom of the third, Carlos Gonzalez singled to center, which scored DJ LeMahieu.  And when Chen loaded the bases with one out, Ryan Raburn smacked one to left, scoring Gonzalez.  Chen then tied the game on a bases-loaded walk to Mark Reynolds, and Nick Hundley scored three runners on a double that bounced off the wall in right-center field before Chen was finally taken out.  Reliever Dustin McGowan eventually saved the third.  On 77 pitches, Chen allowed six earned runs and seven hits, walked two, and fanned one.

Colorado's sudden lead was quickly shortened when Stanton produced his second hit of the game and Bour homered to right center.  McGowan continued to tame Colorado, and good thing, too, because in the fifth J.T. Realmuto drilled a three-run homer to left to steal back the lead.  In the same inning, Cole Gillespie stepped in as a pinch hitter and tripled to right.  Dietrich then scored him when he singled to right.

McGowan, Mike Dunn, Kyle Barraclough, and AJ Ramos all did their part to secure the win.  Offensively, the Marlins combined for 17 hits.  Realmuto led the way with four hits, three RBIs, and one run while Stanton again showed signs of improvement with three hits and two runs.

The Marlins will hope for a better start tomorrow at 1:10 when Tom Koehler faces Tyler Anderson.