Marlins 4, Rockies 3: Rumfield and Tovar homer, but Rockies fall short

The Rockies had an early lead, but weird breaks proved to be the difference

Mar. 28, 2026 at 11:00pm

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The Colorado Rockies fell to the Miami Marlins 4-3 in a close game marked by a lot of soft contact and strange plays on both sides. Despite home runs from TJ Rumfield and Ezequiel Tovar, the Rockies couldn't hold on for the win. Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen had a solid outing in his debut, going 4.1 innings and striking out four, but gave up three runs. The Rockies had some good breaks, like a 7-6-3 double play, but also some bad luck, including a single that bounced off the corner of second base. In the end, an RBI single by the Marlins' Owen Caissie in the eighth inning proved to be the difference.

Why it matters

The loss drops the Rockies to 0-2 on the young season, while the Marlins improve to 2-0. This game highlighted the Rockies' offensive potential with the home runs from Rumfield and Tovar, but also exposed some of the team's defensive and pitching vulnerabilities that will need to be addressed as the season progresses.

The details

Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen made his debut for the team, going 4.1 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. The Marlins scored their first run on a sacrifice fly in the third inning, then Liam Hicks hit a two-run homer in the fifth to give Miami a 3-2 lead. The Rockies got home runs from Rumfield in the second inning and Tovar in the fourth to take an early 2-1 lead, but the Marlins rallied late, with Owen Caissie's RBI single in the eighth proving to be the game-winner.

  • Rumfield hit his first career MLB home run in the second inning.
  • Tovar hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead.
  • Lorenzen made his 1,000th career MLB appearance in the game.

The players

TJ Rumfield

Colorado Rockies first baseman who hit his first career MLB home run in the game.

Ezequiel Tovar

Colorado Rockies shortstop who hit a two-run home run to give the Rockies a lead.

Michael Lorenzen

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher who made his debut for the team, going 4.1 innings and striking out four.

Owen Caissie

Miami Marlins outfielder who hit the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning.

Liam Hicks

Miami Marlins infielder who hit a two-run home run to give the Marlins a 3-2 lead.

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What they’re saying

“Rumfield made quite the impression during spring training, winning both the first base job outright and the Abby Greer Award for spring training MVP. And he has not yet shown signs of slowing down.”

— Samantha Bradfield, Managing Editor, Purple Row

“Tovar was feeling a little overshadowed, so he hit his own two-run home run in his next at-bat in the fourth to not only put the Rockies back on top of the Marlins, but also to give them a little insurance.”

— Samantha Bradfield, Managing Editor, Purple Row

What’s next

The Rockies will look to avoid the sweep on Wednesday in South Beach before heading north to take on the Toronto Blue Jays.

The takeaway

While the Rockies showed offensive promise with the home runs from Rumfield and Tovar, the team's defensive and pitching issues were exposed in this close loss. As the season progresses, the Rockies will need to address these areas in order to be competitive in the NL West.