Colorado pitcher Germán Márquez’s return brought renewed life to the Rockies and they rewarded his lengthy rehab to get back.

Márquez made his first start since Tommy John surgery and helped Colorado to an 8-5 win to avoid a sweep to the streaking New York Mets — winners of five consecutive games before Sunday’s finale.

Michael Toglia did the heavy lifting on offense with his first three-home-run game to take over the club lead with 16. 

It ended the Rockies’ pre-All-Star slate with a 34-63 record.

Here’s a breakdown of the losing series and the moments that mattered most:

The Moment

Germán Márquez’s history with the Rockies is already set but had to pause.

He trotted to the Citi Field mound on Sunday for the first time since he underwent  surgery in May 2023. As usual, he looked to the sky as he came out of the dugout and gave thanks with a kiss of his glove and a gesture upward.

The jog ended a rehab process that took him across each the minor-league level before returning to the majors. Once his fastball hit 99 miles per hour with Double-A Hartford, it was clear a season debut was imminent. Sunday ended a streak of 444 days without the righthander leading his team out of the dugout.

In the first inning, he tied history with two strikeouts. In the second, he became the leader. His 986th career strikeout came against Mets’ All-Star Pete Alonso and passed former Rockies’ pitcher Jorge De La Rosa for the most in franchise history — a milestone that looked easily reachable when last season began, and became an uphill climb in the year-plus since. Márquez pointed to the sky once more when he broke the barrier.

Teammates stood on the stairs of the dugout after his opening frame to welcome him with open arms. A different buzz filled the Rockies’ clubhouse on Sunday and they wanted him to feel it immediately rather than just at the end of his start as usual.

“I think there were some nerves in there,” manager Bud Black said. “He was anxious, I think he was excited. I think all of that. Once he got through the first couple of innings, I think he hit a little bit of a wall, the adrenaline might have worn off.

“He felt good coming out of it. He seems healthy and he’s in good spirits.”

Rust peeked through in the fourth and final inning of Márquez’s outing. He allowed a two-run home run to Alonso and issued three of his four walks, including one to Francisco Lindor with the bases loaded. In time, the issues should be ironed out.

Márquez retaking the mound was arguably the franchise’s best moment this year, and certainly its a bright spot amid 18 losses in 27 games before the break.

Takeaway

Colorado’s crystal ball has changed its picture since the end of last season.

It’s a franchise that enters the All-Star break with the future becoming clear. Outfielder Brenton Doyle’s trajectory has rocketed upwards — offseason swing changes have put his offense on par with his Gold Glove defense as the season’s progressed. Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar had the looks of a first-time All-Star early and has done little to damper expectations.

On the opposite side, Nolan Jones is once again on the injured list with lower back tightness, Elehuris Montero is in Triple-A Albuquerque after being designated for assignment and the club is welcoming its new wave to replace struggling hitters and pitchers alike.

Expectations have shifted since the end of last year. Doyle has overtaken Jones in the franchise’s hierarchy, at least for now. And the looming trade deadline could alter the outlook even more. Such is life for a rebuilding franchise.

What went right

The big hits are coming for the Rockies even if the smaller ones have shored up.

Home runs came in bunches for Colorado in the three-game set, and allowed the lineup to put up a season-high four in Friday’s loss before a new season-high of six on Sunday.

Michael Toglia had his first-career three-homer game on Sunday to aid the Rockies’ power surge. It was the club’s first such game on the road since Charlie Blackmon hit three on Aug. 12, 2016, against the Phillies. He became the first switch-hitter in Colorado history to hit three home runs in a game.

“I definitely feel more confident,” Toglia said of his return from a stint in Triple-A. “The confidence comes from playing every day, results, your routine — there are different ways to draw confidence. The biggest adjustment is I’m trying to go a little bit earlier, the stuff is elite at this level. I’m trying to give myself more time to see the ball.”

The Rockies hit a three-game-series-record 12 home runs against the Mets. Toglia’s final long ball set the record after his previous two helped set the road series benchmark.

Blackmon hit homers in back-to-back games after he came back from hamstring tightness. Doyle added a pair in the series and is inching closer to a 20-homer, 20-steal season. Tovar continued to pull out of his slump with two homers on Sunday too.

The Rockies’ power is coming, but they garnered 14 hits outside of long balls and went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

What went wrong

Colorado would’ve ended its pre-All-Star stretch with a winning series if the Mets didn’t bring their dose of power.

New York hit seven home runs in the series, including five in Friday’s 7-6 win. It edged out the Rockies’ season-high four homers.

The Rockies’ starters combined for 10 ⅔ innings and 12 earned runs allowed. The rotation gave up five home runs and put the lineup behind early in two of the three games, both losses. The trio issued 11 walks to help the Mets further.

Colorado is still a step behind in its fight to win more games. When the rotation has stood out, the offense has gone quiet. When the offense heats up, as it did in Queens, New York, the pitching staff fails to do its part.

What’s up next

Ryan McMahon will take his Rockies purple to Arlington for his first All-Star game.

He is the fourth third baseman in Colorado history to be named to the game and first since Nolan Arenado in 2019. McMahon hit .272 in 95 games to earn the nod and will look to make it back-to-back All-Star Most Valuable Player nods for the Rockies after catcher Elias Díaz became the franchise’s first last season.

Rockies 8, Mets 5

What happened: The Rockies upped their season-high to six homers in Sunday’s win and used three from Michael Toglia to make history and avoid a sweep in New York.

On the mound: Germán Márquez made his first start since last April after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He went four innings and allowed three earned runs on four walks and five hits. He struck out three to become the franchise’s all-time strikeout leader ahead of Jorge De La Rosa. Justin Lawrence, Tyler Kinley and Nick Mears threw scoreless frames before Jalen Beeks garnered one out and allowed two earned runs. Victor Vodnik worked a five-out save, his second, to ensure Colorado’s win.

At the plate: Toglia became the first switch-hitter in franchise history to hit three home runs in a game on Sunday. It helped Colorado to a franchise-record-breaking 12 home runs in the three-game set. His 16 home runs lead the club and make up nearly half of his 34 hits this year. Ezequiel Tovar also went deep twice and Brenton Doyle added his 15th to hold off the Mets. The Rockies finished with 10 hits, two walks and 13 strikeouts.

What’s next: San Francisco Giants (TBD) at Colorado Rockies (TBD) on Friday, July 19 at 6:40 p.m. at Coors Field (Rockies.TV)