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Jul 6, 2009 - 2:38 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Washington (23-55) at Colorado (42-38), 8:40 p.m. EDT

Jason Marquis' outstanding first half of the season has forced him to cancel a family vacation.

The newly named All-Star tries to become the first 11-game winner in the major leagues Monday night when the Colorado Rockies open a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals.

Marquis (10-5, 3.87 ERA) earned his first All-Star appearance Sunday. He was an obvious choice as the only pitcher in the NL with 10 wins, and his 3.87 ERA is his lowest in five seasons.

Still, the 10-year veteran wasn't sure he would be chosen and had planned a trip to Disneyland for the All-Star break. He'll have to put off the vacation.

"I just told myself whatever happens, happens," Marquis said of being selected to the All-Star team. "It didn't really weigh on my mind or affect anything I do on a daily basis."

The right-hander's last effort probably cemented his place on the NL squad. Marquis threw 66 of 86 pitches for strikes Tuesday in a two-hitter, adding a two-run single in a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"That was something special," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "In the seven-plus years I've sat behind a desk like this, that's the first time I've seen a starting pitcher throw a nine-inning, complete-game shutout and do it with less than 90 pitches. And a lot of that had to do with the way he pounded the strike zone early in the count with his fastball."

Marquis is 2-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 11 starts against the Nationals franchise. He has limited Washington slugger Adam Dunn to six hits in 28 at-bats (.214).

Colorado went 4-3 against Washington in each of the last two seasons after sweeping eight meetings in 2006.

The Rockies (42-39) had won six straight home games before losing the final two contests of their weekend series with Arizona. Colorado blew a four-run lead in an 11-7 loss Saturday and squandered a three-run advantage in a 4-3 defeat Sunday.

Still, Colorado is in playoff contention at the midpoint of its season. The Rockies trail San Francisco by two games for the wild card after being 18-28 when Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle as manager May 29.

"If you look at from where we started, we've had some good success so far," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki told the Rockies' official Web site. "We started off real slow, and now at the halfway point, we find ourselves in a position to be right there in the thick of things. I think it's impressive, and it goes to show the team doesn't quit."

Washington (24-55), winner of two in a row, begins a seven-game trip with a major league-low nine road wins.

Rookie Craig Stammen (1-3, 5.44) has one of them, and will make his ninth career start. Stammen has lasted at least five innings in every outing but has pitched past the sixth just twice.

The right-hander did not get a decision Tuesday at Florida after allowing four runs over 5 1-3 innings of a 7-5 loss.

Stammen, who has never faced the Rockies, is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in four road starts.