Marlins fall to last-place Rockies as Max Meyer continues to struggle

Miami Marlins’ manager Clayton McCullough cautioned before the start of Monday’s series that “we better come ready to play” against the Colorado Rockies despite their 9-50 record.

“There’s some good major league players over there,” he noted. “They’ve played a lot of close games recently.”

Well, the Marlins led by three runs after two innings. But it didn’t end well.

Held scoreless the rest of the game, they lost to the Rockies 6-4 at loanDepot park, falling to a team that had won three of its previous 31 games away from Coors Field.

“It’s a loss. None of them feel good,” McCullough said of the loss. “You can go in and examine every one of those and find points in game that could be tipping points. Regardless of who you’re playing, each night is going to be a tough endeavor to win a major league game.”

Marlins’ starter Max Meyer was roughed up for the second consecutive start.

The right-hander surrendered six runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings to the Padres May 27 in San Diego and five runs (four earned) in five innings Monday. The Rockies racked up 10 hits, including a pair of home runs from Hunter Goodman.

Goodman smacked a solo shot to center with two outs in the third and went deep again his next at-bat, belting the ball 418 feet to center for a two-run homer in the fifth. The Rockies started the inning with four consecutive hits.

“They ambushed on a lot of first pitches, which was a good gameplan, but I’ve got to see that early and not let the damage happen,” Meyer said. “I’ve got to get out of the zone and know they’re swinging so put balls a little off the plate and be fine with getting down in the count.”

Added McCullough: “He missed in some bad places, some elevated pitches they were able to put good swings on. Just the overall lack of finish and crispness on some of his offerings.”

After giving up seven earned runs in his first five starts this season, Meyer has surrendered 27 in his past seven.

Of Meyer’s stretch of poor performances, McCullough said, “The level of concern is not high at all for Max. He’s doing a lot of good things within each of these outings. And then you’re just trying to mitigate either an inning or succession of at-bats that can maybe turn the tide a little bit within a game.”

The Marlins gave Meyer a 4-1 lead to operate with Monday. Wagaman, Lopez and Ramírez each collected an RBI in the first inning. The Marlins tacked on another run in the second on Jesús Sánchez’s RBI double. Sánchez was 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI as he extended his hitting streak to eight games.

Sánchez came into the series 10-for-25 with two home runs, three RBI, a .423 on-base percentage and a .680 slugging percentage in the past seven games.

“Right now, he’s in a really good place fundamentally with his swing while also getting into the rhythmic groove of the season now with 150 plate appearances and the confidence that he has — the fact that this is happening now is no surprise,” McCullough said. “It was bound to happen. He’s been on a good run now for a few weeks.”

Another positive for the Marlins on Monday: Kyle Stowers hit a double off the left center field wall in his second at-bat, a promising sign for the slumping offensive young star. Stowers entered the game with just two hits in his last 30 at-bats (.067) since going 3-for-4 against the Angels on May 23.

THIS AND THAT

▪ Eury Pérez will pitch five innings for Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, and this should be the right-hander’s last rehab start before he returns from Tommy John surgery, McCullough said.

“He’s been able to build up his stamina — increase the ups and pitch count — where you feel like he’s got a good enough base under him to come up here and pitch,” he said.

▪ Utility player Ronny Simon was claimed by the Pirates on Monday, three days after the Marlins designated him for assignment.

▪ Catcher Liam Hicks, who turned 26 years old on Monday, singled, doubled, and had a stolen base on his birthday.

▪ Sandy Alcantara (2-7, 8.47 ERA) will start for the Marlins on Tuesday and fellow right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-5, 5.84) will take the mound Wednesday.