NL bottom-dwellers Rockies, Marlins look to earn rare win

The Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins aren't much interested in maintaining their current trends, so that means changes are in order.

For the Rockies, personnel moves are expected before they oppose the host Marlins on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series.

For the Marlins, a midgame alteration was their most recent attempt at shaking a skid.

According to multiple media reports, 2022 first-round draft pick Jordan Beck will be called up for his major league debut with the Rockies. The 23-year-old outfielder was batting .307 with five home runs with 28 RBIs in 25 games for Triple-A Albuquerque.

An official announcement regarding Beck, who played for the University of Tennessee, is expected Tuesday prior to the game. With Beck on the way, outfielder Nolan Jones is likely to go on Colorado's injured list due to a back ailment.

The Rockies have lost two games in a row, both against the Houston Astros in Mexico City, and five of their past seven games. After the visit to Miami, Colorado plays three games at Pittsburgh before returning to Denver.

"We have not played our best baseball and our record is indicative of that," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "But the players come with energy to compete."

The Rockies and Marlins own the two worst records in the National League.

The Marlins, losers of seven in a row, were swept in four games by the visiting Washington Nationals, who won 7-2 on Monday. Miami's pitchers surrendered a total of 30 runs across the past three games.

Then there was the awkwardness of Miami manager Skip Schumaker taking right fielder Jesus Sanchez out of the Monday game after a defensive blunder.

"He lost the ball in the lights. I've lost the ball in the lights many times," Schumaker said. "After that, I felt like the effort wasn't there, so I decided to remove him from the game."

Even with Miami's pitching and defensive failures recently, it is unclear if the Rockies have enough offensive firepower to capitalize. Colorado has scored two or fewer runs in six of its last nine games and it hasn't won consecutive games all season.

The Marlins, who are just 2-15 at home, didn't announce a projected starter for Tuesday until after the Monday night game. It will be Sixto Sanchez (0-1, 7.20 ERA), who will make his second start and ninth appearance of the season. The 25-year-old right-hander has never faced the Rockies.

The Rockies have right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-2, 5.68 ERA) lined up for the Tuesday start. He is coming off his shortest outing of the season, when he gave up four runs on 10 hits in four innings on April 23 against the visiting San Diego Padres.

Feltner has faced the Marlins twice, both times in 2022, and he picked up his first career major league win in one of those games. He logged seven innings and gave up one run in that outing, and a few weeks later he allowed five runs, four earned, in 3 2/3 innings in a rematch.

Colorado is 2-11 in road games -- a mark that doesn't include the two games at Mexico City, for which the Rockies were considered the home team.