Cal Quantrill looks to stop Rockies from sweeping Marlins

Cal Quantrill spent 2024 helping the Colorado Rockies win games. On Wednesday, he will try to stop them from sweeping their first series of 2025 when the Miami Marlins host the Rockies in the finale of their three-game series.

Quantrill (3-5, 5.84 ERA) faces his former team in the finale of the series, while Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland (0-8, 5.72) will be looking for his first win.

The Rockies have won the first two games of the series, including a 3-2 triumph on Tuesday. They had lost 22 straight series dating back to last September before the latest win.

Quantrill was one of the more reliable starters for the Rockies last season, making 29 starts and going 8-11 with a 4.98 ERA. He led the club in wins in his lone season in Colorado. He has been a solid part of Miami's rotation this year despite having just three wins.

The 30-year-old veteran threw an immaculate inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches) against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 18 -- the only one in the majors this season.

Quantrill was a hard-luck loser in his last outing against the San Francisco Giants despite fanning a season-high seven. He permitted two runs on eight hits and a walk in five innings during a 2-0 defeat on Friday.

"He did a really good job of navigating around," Miami manager Clayton McCullough said. "He was able to get some strikeouts, especially when he needed to, and really made some big pitches when it counted, when he needed to finish guys off. Gutsy effort by him."

In seven career outings (four starts) against the Rockies, Quantrill is 1-2 with a 5.84 ERA.

He will face a Colorado squad enjoying just its second winning streak of the season. The Rockies are on pace to set the worst record in the modern era but are on a rare roll this year. They clinched their first series win of the season despite not having two key players available.

Closer Zach Agnos was placed on the bereavement list on Tuesday, and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar was out of the lineup due to left oblique soreness. Tovar, who left the Monday game with the injury, will not play Wednesday and Colorado is off Thursday, giving him a chance for extended rest as he tries to avoid a second stint on the injured list this year.

"He did it after his second at-bat -- it started small and started progressing," Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. "(Precaution) is what it was for me (Monday) night -- getting him out of the game. As I understand, obliques are serious things."

Freeland has gone winless in his past 15 starts and hasn't recorded a victory since Sept. 8, 2024, at Milwaukee. He leads the team with five quality starts in 2025 but has not gotten support when he has pitched well.

His latest outing was against the Mets, a 4-2 loss in New York on Friday. Freeland permitted three runs on seven hits and no walks in six innings while striking out four. He served up a season-high two homers.

Freeland has been successful in his seven career appearances (five starts) against the Marlins, going 3-0 with a 3.48 ERA.