Jason Marquis leads Rockies past Pirates 7-3 for Colorado’s 14th win in 15 games

Marquis leads Rockies to 14th win in 15 games

DENVER — Jason Marquis shut down the Pirates with a masterful mix of sinkers and sliders over 8 2-3 innings and the Colorado Rockies beat Pittsburgh 7-3 Friday night for their 14th win in 15 games.

Marquis (9-4) allowed three earned runs on eight hits while coming within an out of his sixth complete game in his 10-year major league career. The right-hander improved to 5-1 in his last seven starts, leading the Rockies’ turnaround from an early-season funk.

Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe each homered for the Rockies, who are 16-5 since manager Jim Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle on May 29 to inch above .500 (34-33) for the first time since April 11.

This was Tracy’s first game against the Pirates, whom he managed in 2006-07.

Through the first five innings, Marquis surrendered just Freddy Sanchez’s fluke single in the first inning. Nyjer Morgan took off from first base on the pitch and Sanchez hit a routine ground ball toward second baseman Clint Barmes that struck Morgan and dribbled into center field.

By rule, Morgan was called out for runner’s interference and Sanchez was credited with a base hit.

That was all the Pirates mustered until Andrew McCutchen doubled leading off the sixth.

Marquis induced 21 ground-ball outs, three strikeouts and two flyouts. He also singled and scored a run in the fifth, when the Rockies doubled their lead to 6-0 on Barmes’ sacrifice fly and Hawpe’s two-run homer.

Marquis allowed five hits after the seventh inning, including pinch-hitter Eric Hinske’s run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth that McCutchen followed with an RBI triple to make it 7-3. Left-hander Alan Embree came on and retired Morgan for the final out.

Pittsburgh right-hander Ross Ohlendorf (6-6) was tagged for six earned runs on nine hits in five fitful innings.

Dexter Fowler scored from third base on catcher Robinson Diaz’s passed ball in the first, Tulowitzki sent a fastball into the rock pile in center field an inning later for his 10th homer and Todd Helton and Hawpe hit back-to-back doubles off Ohlendorf in the third.

Marquis led off the fifth with a single to right and advanced on an error by Delwyn Young. He was bunted over to third and scored on Barmes’ fly to right. Helton then singled and Hawpe collected his third hit of the night with a shot over the center field wall that made it 6-0.

Jack Wilson’s second homer of the season made it 6-1 in the seventh.

Tulowitzki nearly hit another homer to center, this one off Matt Capps in the eighth, but McCutchen hauled it in at the wall, allowing Helton to score from third with his third run of the night.

It wasn’t all good news for the red-hot Rockies. Setup man Manny Corpas arrived at Coors Field with a swollen right elbow, and the Rockies were awaiting results of medical tests that could land him on the disabled list.

Corpas, who threw a scoreless eighth inning in each of his last two games, leads the team with 33 appearances. Until he returns, the Rockies will use Embree or right-hander Matt Daley to set up closer Huston Street.

NOTES: The Rockies announced they are relocating their spring training facilities from Tucson after 2010. They didn’t say where they’ll move to, but they want to get closer to the Phoenix area. … Rockies IF Jeff Baker (hand) was sent to Class A Modesto to begin a rehab assignment Saturday.