DENVER — Germán Márquez stayed in his uniform for two hours after the game ended Tuesday night, afraid that if he took it off, somehow the good juju he’s been feeling would wear off.

Márquez almost reached the ultimate height of pitching greatness Tuesday, falling three outs shy of a no-hitter. He still managed an impressive feat: a complete game on just 92 pitches, becoming just the second player to do so in under 100 pitches at Coors Field.

He celebrated with the entire team, then enjoyed a few adult beverages with the pitching staff. As everyone else packed up and headed home, Márquez stayed behind, still in his purple button up, not wanting to move.

Only six pitchers from Venezuela have thrown a no-hitter, and Márquez wants to add his name to that exclusive list. He isn’t afraid of the old curse. He knows he can do it, and he doesn’t care how many times he says it. And he thinks it’s going to happen soon.

“It’s going to be amazing,” he said. “It’s going to be a big moment for my family, for my country. To me, it’s going to be a super moment.”

The day started just like any other, with him waking up at his house and spending time with his wife, Dilvanny, and son, Damian, better known as Easy Cheese. Márquez felt horrible in his pregame bullpen session, but put out poetry on the mound, each pitch flowing seamlessly into the next.

“There’s a rhythm,” manager Bud Black said. “I’m not a musician or an artist, but you get in a groove doing certain things physically. He was in that grove.”

While Márquez was cool as a cucumber, his teammates and coaches were nervous. Kyle Freeland, who himself almost achieved a no-hitter in 2017, was tense from the seventh inning on.

“I knew exactly what he was feeling, exactly what he was thinking,” Freeland said. “I was dialed in on every single pitch.”

Márquez trusted his training. Earlier this year, he came out looking nothing like the type of pitcher he’s been in the past. His fastball command was nowhere near where it needed to be, and required hours of extra side sessions and bullpen work with pitching coach Steve Foster to rein it back in.

Still, despite the improvements, things didn’t click right away. The team has felt for some time that he has what it takes to be one of the best pitchers in the league. But, every year, he has one or two disastrous starts that take his name out of contention. Each time though, he comes out looking unstoppable afterward.

This year, he’s had two such outings. The first came on May 4, when he was pulled in the first inning against the Giants after allowing eight runs. Then came June 12, when he allowed eight earned runs on 12 hits against the Reds.

After that second game, Elias Díaz, who caught him that day and on Tuesday, noticed a switch flip in Márquez. He was visibly frustrated, but ready to get back out there and prove he belonged.

“After his bad outings, we just sit around and say that’s baseball, it happens,” Díaz said. “He responds with ‘I’m going to go out there and do what I can and do my best.’”

In Seattle on June 23, his next start after Cincinnati, Márquez carried a perfect game into the sixth inning. On Tuesday, he had just one bad pitch, a low curve that Ka’ai Tom was able to line to center field. The crowd, one of the largest at Coors Field since 2019, rewarded Márquez with a standing ovation. They honored him again a few minutes later with a curtain call after he got the last out.

After completing his TV obligations, Márquez was heading into the dugout when he spotted Dilvanny behind home plate. Even though he didn’t reach perfection, this moment was still special for them. Dilvanny wasn’t able to be in the United States earlier in his career, and missed out on seeing his early career milestones in person.

Following a big embrace, Márquez went to join his teammates in the clubhouse. Around 11 p.m., with everyone else long gone, Márquez finally decided it was time to go home. Even though he wanted to soak in the moment for as long as possible, he doesn’t eat on the day he pitches, and his stomach is always growling after game. He has to wait five days to try again for a no-hitter, but in the meantime he could go get some carbonara.

“I like my pasta,” he said.