Bottom of Rockies’ order lifts them to 8-2 win over Marlins

The bottom third of the Rockies’ order has not been very potent. That’s an understatement.

But it delivered big-time Wednesday night in Colorado’s 8-2 win over the floundering Marlins at Coors Field. No. 9 hole hitter Aaron Shunk, getting a rare start at second base, hit 2-for-3 and blasted the first homer of his career. The rookie entered the game hitting .148.

Rookie catcher Drew Romo, hitting eighth, went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He began the night batting .158.

And left fielder Nolan Jones, who had a .208 average, hit 2-for-3 with a walk, delivering RBI singles in the third and sixth.

Miami’s vice Wednesday night came in the form of four ugly errors, which helped turn a close game into a Colorado cruiser. And shortstop Ezequiel Tovar ripped a two-run double to right-center in the eighth, ensuring the Marlins had no comeback plans. Tovar has 39 doubles.

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland did what Freeland does. He kept the Marlins off-balance for six innings and got big outs when needed.

For example, in the Marlins’ fifth inning, a one-out double by Connor Norby and an infield single by Jake Burger had Freeland in trouble. But he struck out Jonah Bride with a wicked slider and got Derek Hill to ground out to second.

Freeland scattered six hits, struck out five and walked only one. In eight starts at Coors Field, he owns a 3.74 ERA. He improved to 4-6 and earned the 59th win of his career, passing Jason Jennings for the fifth-most in franchise history.

After the Rockies’ epic ninth-inning collapse in a 9-8 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday night, they needed a drama-free performance from their bullpen.

Rookie right-hander Jeff Criswell delivered, pitching a scoreless seventh and eighth, striking out five and issuing a solo walk. Anthony Molina pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Marlins struck first on Hill’s leadoff homer in the second inning. He ripped Freeland’s first-pitch sinker 378 feet into the left-field bleachers.