DENVER -- German Marquez's fastball was dancing. His curve, almost untouchable. And after a diving catch by Carlos Gonzalez in the sixth, well, Marquez's mind couldn't help but wonder.
"I thought about it," Marquez said of a no-hitter.
That's how electric his command was.
Marquez allowed three hits over eight innings and got his first major league hit with a two-run single in the seventh to lead the Colorado Rockies over the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Wednesday.
"For a young man against the world champions to do this, I mean, pretty special game," said Rockies manager Bud Black, whose team is off to its best 35-game start at 22-13.
Marquez had a no-hit bid going until Kris Bryant's double leading off the seventh. He walked Kyle Schwarber in the first and retired 16 straight before Bryant's hit to left.
The 22-year-old Marquez (1-2) struck out eight by mixing in a mid-90s fastball with an assortment of breaking pitches. The Cubs acknowledged they didn't know much about him before.
"You have to give the kid credit -- he was on today and we had nothing to show for it," Bryant said.
With two on and two outs in the seventh, Marquez broke open the game with his liner to left on an 0-2 pitch left up. The Rockies bench gave him an ovation.
"I didn't look at that pitch, just swung," explained Marquez, who had the ball sitting on his shelf at his locker.
Greg Holland threw a perfect ninth for his 14th save in as many chances to help the Rockies take two of three from Chicago.
"That's how you draw it up: Get (Marquez) through eight, throw it to your closer, game over," catcher Ryan Hanigan said. "That was a great win for our pitching staff."
Kyle Hendricks (2-2) gave up three runs -- two earned -- in 6 1/3 innings.
"Just one of those days for us," Hendricks said.
Ian Desmond hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fourth that was set up by an error. After Nolan Arenado's one-out single, Gonzalez sent a grounder to shortstop Javier Baez, who mishandled it. Mark Reynolds drew a walk, and Desmond lifted a ball to center.
"The game should have been 0-0. We made the one mistake at shortstop and the unlikely single by the pitcher on an 0-2 count," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "Wow."
Marquez was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on April 25 to fill in with Jon Gray sidelined by an injury. Marquez struggled in his first two starts at Coors Field this season, posting an 11.70 ERA.
He found his masterful control Wednesday after a rain delay of 50 minutes at the start. It's the sixth time a Rockies pitcher has thrown at least six innings of no-hit baseball at Coors Field and first since Jorge De La Rosa on May 16, 2014, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Marquez found himself in a tight spot in the eighth with two on and one out. Black showed faith in him to escape and he did, too, by getting two groundouts to end the threat.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Cubs: SS Addison Russell was a late scratch with soreness in his right shoulder. "He felt better through the course of the game," Maddon said after the game.
Rockies: C Tony Wolters (concussion) is taking swings in the batting cage. "I feel good," Wolters said.
PUT HIM IN, COACH
Third base on Tuesday, first base on Wednesday -- Jeimer Candelario doesn't care where he plays. He was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday as the 26th player before the second game of a doubleheader, but was kept around. Instead, pitcher Dylan Floro was sent back to Triple-A Iowa.
SCUFFLING CUBS
The loss drops the Cubs to 17-17 this season. It's been a crazy past few days for the Cubs, who've endured an 18-inning loss to the New York Yankees and then a day-night doubleheader Tuesday after a rainout the day before.
"This is kind of our worst baseball right now," Bryant said. "We're not hitting the panic button at all. We know the talent we have here."
UP NEXT
Cubs: Off Thursday before a three-game series in St. Louis. Maddon has yet to announce a start for Friday's game.
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (2-3, 6.69 ERA) takes the mound Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
---
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball





Final
Series: Game 3 of 3

Cubs 0

(17-17, 10-8 away)

Rockies 3

(22-13, 11-8 home)






3:10PM,EDT,May 10,2017
Coors Field, Denver,Colorado 

123456789 R H E
CHC 000000000 0 3 1
COL 00010020 - 3 6 0
W: G. Marquez (1-2)
L: K. Hendricks (2-2)
S: G. Holland (14)






View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Chicago - Top of 1stSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Jay struck out swinging.00
Bryant flied out to center.00
Schwarber walked.00
Candelario flied out to right.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Kyle Hendricks pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
Blackmon struck out swinging.00
LeMahieu singled to center.00
Arenado grounded into double play, third to second to first, LeMahieu out at second.00
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 2ndSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Montero struck out looking.00
Báez struck out swinging.00
La Stella lined out to center.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Kyle Hendricks pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
González struck out swinging.00
Reynolds walked.00
Desmond grounded out to pitcher, Reynolds to second.00
Valaika grounded out to third.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 3rdSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Almora Jr. flied out to right.00
Hendricks grounded out to third.00
Jay struck out swinging.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Kyle Hendricks pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
Hanigan struck out looking.00
Márquez struck out swinging.00
Blackmon flied out to right.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 4thSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Bryant grounded out to shortstop.00
Schwarber fouled out to third.00
Candelario grounded out to second.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Kyle Hendricks pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
LeMahieu grounded out to second.00
Arenado reached on infield single to second.00
González safe at first on error by shortstop Báez, Arenado to second.00
Reynolds walked, Arenado to third, González to second.00
Desmond hit sacrifice fly to center, Arenado scored, González to third.01
Valaika struck out swinging.01
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors
Chicago - Top of 5thSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Montero struck out looking.01
Báez struck out looking.01
La Stella grounded out to shortstop.01
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Kyle Hendricks pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
Hanigan struck out swinging.01
Márquez grounded out to first.01
Blackmon lined out to right.01
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 6thSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Almora Jr. flied out to center.01
Hendricks lined out to right.01
Jay struck out swinging.01
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Kyle Hendricks pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
LeMahieu lined out to shortstop.01
Arenado grounded out to third.01
González struck out swinging.01
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 7thSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Bryant doubled to left.01
Schwarber grounded out to pitcher.01
Candelario struck out swinging.01
Montero grounded out to second.01
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Kyle Hendricks pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
Reynolds singled to left.01
Desmond flied out to right.01
Valaika singled to right, Reynolds to second.01
Edwards Jr. relieved Hendricks.01
Hanigan grounded out to pitcher, Reynolds to third, Valaika to second.01
Márquez singled to shallow left, Reynolds and Valaika scored.03
Blackmon struck out swinging.03
2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 8thSCORE
German Marquez pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Báez grounded out to shortstop.03
La Stella singled to shallow left.03
Zobrist hit for Almora Jr..03
Zobrist singled to right, La Stella to second.03
Contreras hit for Edwards Jr..03
Contreras grounded out to second, La Stella to third, Zobrist to second.03
Jay grounded out to third.03
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Colorado - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Hector Rondon pitching for ChicagoCHCCOL
Rondón relieved Edwards Jr..03
Bryant in center field.03
La Stella at third base.03
Zobrist at second base.03
Contreras in right field.03
LeMahieu struck out swinging.03
Arenado singled to left.03
González flied out to center.03
Reynolds struck out swinging.03
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Chicago - Top of 9thSCORE
Greg Holland pitching for ColoradoCHCCOL
Holland relieved Márquez.03
Bryant grounded out to shortstop.03
Schwarber struck out swinging.03
Candelario struck out swinging.03
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors




 Chicago Cubs

HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Jay RF40000319.303.410.379
0000000.000.000.000
Bryant 3B-CF40100016.299.401.547
Schwarber LF30001116.195.322.374
Candelario 1B40000211.125.222.125
Montero C30000210.354.373.563
Báez SS3000028.253.292.485
La Stella 2B-3B30100011.200.429.300
Almora Jr. CF20000011.284.346.419
a-Zobrist PH-2B
1010003.222.328.370
Hendricks P2000004.154.154.154
0000000.000.000.000
b-Contreras PH-RF
1000004.216.290.340
Totals30030110113   
a-singled to right for A Almora Jr. in the 8th
b-grounded to second for C Edwards Jr. in the 8th
BATTING
2B: Bryant (11, Márquez)
Cubs RISP: 0-5 (Schwarber 0-1, Montero 0-1, Jay 0-1, Candelario 0-1, Contreras 0-1)
Team LOB: 4
FIELDING
E: Báez (5, ground ball)
DP: 1 (Bryant-La Stella-Candelario).

Game Notes

The game is underway after a 50 minute delay.

Game Information

StadiumCoors Field, Denver, CO
Attendance35,213 (69.9% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:14
Weather53 degrees, cloudy
Wind5 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Eric Cooper, First Base - Adrian Johnson, Second Base - Mike DiMuro, Third Base - Gabe Morales