Rookie Jordan Pacheco blasted a two-run homer as part of a three-run fourth inning to propel the Colorado Rockies (46-73) to a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins (55-67) yesterday in Denver. The win earned the Rockies a series split, and now travel to face the New York Mets (57-64) tonight at 5:10 MT at Citi Field (TV: Root Sports).

The three-run inning started with fellow-rookie Josh Rutledge legging out an infield single to second, then scoring from first on Fowler’s troublesome double down the left-field line. Fowler stole third, but was nearly stranded as the Rockies flew to shallow right and popped to third before Pacheco lofted his two-run shot into the left-field stands.

The Marlins got on the board early thanks to a rally that started when an errant throw from Rutledge at short pulled Tyler Colvin off the bag at first. Despite the bad throw, replays appeared to show Colvin kept his foot on the bag long enough to get Emilio Bonifacio out.

It was one of at least four calls on the bases that video replays suggest were poorly called by the umpiring staff. Three of the calls went against the Rockies.

“They were a few questionable calls today, one of which cost us a run in the first inning on the very first play of the game, but that’s all I’ll say about that,” manager Jim Tracy said.

Justin Ruggiano followed Bonifiacio with a double to center, and Carlos Lee’s grounder to third plated Bonifacio.

Rockies starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz made it through four innings with his only other blemish being a solo homer to John Buck that opened Pomeranz’s final inning and give the Marlins a 2-0 lead.

Miami staged its last big threat in the fifth, with a leadoff single from Ruggiano followed by a two-base error from Rutledge, who was chasing down a shallow fly in left and ran into Andrew Brown’s glove, stripping the ball from it to put runners on second and third with nobody out.

“Piggyback” reliever Adam Ottavino got Lee on a comebacker to the mound, intentionally walked Giancarlo Stanton, then struck out Donnie Murphy and retired Buck on a grounder to short to escape unscathed.

The Rockies tried to add insurance runs in the seventh, loading the bases through a leadoff walk, a double through the third baseman by Brown, and a two-out intentional walk of Fowler, but cleanup hitter Ramon Hernandez grounded to the pitcher to end the inning.

Matt Belisle contributed to the bullpen’s run of 13 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to the seventh inning Friday and including five each on Saturday and Sunday, with a nine-pitch eighth to retire the side in order.

Colorado loaded the based again in the eighth on another leadoff walk, a single to center from Pacheco, and a one-out blooper between the pitcher’s mound and second base from Jonathan Herrera that fell for an infield single. Pinch-hitter Chris Nelson lined a ball to short that Jose Reyes knocked down and converted into a 6-5-2 double play, catching Pacheco at third and Tyler Colvin at home, both of whom had to hold up when Reyes nearly caught the hard liner. The Colvin call at home was the fourth of the questionable umpiring calls.

Colorado lost two key men in the last two days as Carlos Gonzalez went on the bereavement list and Michael Cuddyer went back on the disabled list two days after coming off it. They lost two more during the game as Eric Young Jr. left with a left intercostal muscle (rib cage) strain after his first-inning at-bat, and Rutledge was pinch-hit for in the fifth due to his left quad tightness.

The win gave Colorado a series split and a 5-2 record on the homestand.

Tickets are available for the Rockies’ next home game at Coors Field vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 27th, and can be purchased by calling (800) 388-ROCK, or click here.

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