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Florida's Sanchez loses no-hitter in ninth

Apr 23, 2011 - 4:16 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Anibal Sanchez carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning and the Florida Marlins stymied the Colorado Rockies, 4-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Sun Life Stadium.

Dexter Fowler broke up Sanchez's bid for his second career no-hitter with a broken-bat single through the right side to begin the ninth. Fowler was then quickly doubled off at first base after left fielder Scott Cousins made a diving catch on a ball hit by Jonathan Herrera. Carlos Gonzalez grounded out to end the game.

Sanchez (1-1) tossed the fourth no-hitter in Marlins history on September 6, 2006 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was bidding to become the first pitcher in the club's annals to throw a second one, but instead settled for the one-hit gem.

"Everything was working today," Sanchez said. "I saw my velocity, I trusted more in my fastball. I know I'm throwing harder than last year and I feel it now."

The 27-year-old Venezuela native gave up an unearned run in the first and issued three walks while recording a career-high nine strikeouts in his fourth career complete game.

"He had all of his secondary pitches going," Marlins catcher John Buck said. "He was locating his fastball and seemed to have more on his fastball tonight too. He was just executing every pitch that I asked him to do. It was pretty impressive."

Chris Coghlan and Gaby Sanchez both homered for Florida, which notched its season-high fourth straight win. The Marlins were coming off a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh in which they outscored the Pirates, 21-5. Florida has now won seven of eight overall.

Jhoulys Chacin (3-1) surrendered four runs on seven hits and walked three in five innings for the Rockies, who fell to 7-2 on the road this season.

Fowler walked to begin the game, took second base on a passed ball and advanced to third on a groundout. After Gonzalez struck out, Troy Tulowitzki hit a bouncer to third baseman Emilio Bonifacio and Fowler scored when Gaby Sanchez botched the catch at first.

Coghlan countered with his fifth career leadoff home run in the bottom of the first, then the Marlins tacked on two more runs in the next inning.

Cousins reached on a fielder's choice and Bonifacio followed with a ground- rule double. Anibal Sanchez then executed a suicide squeeze, bunting the ball back to Chacin. Colorado catcher Chris Iannetta, though, couldn't hold on to the ball, allowing Cousins to score the go-ahead run. Another fielder's choice plated Bonifacio.

Gaby Sanchez deposited Chacin's first pitch of the third inning to the left- field seats for a 4-1 Florida lead.

Fowler walked again in the third, but was erased on a double-play grounder.

"Sanchez commanded his fastball, very simple," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "He used it quite a bit and he commanded it and he commanded it down in the strike zone. We didn't really have a threat against him."

The Rockies didn't have another baserunner until Todd Helton drew a two-out walk in the seventh. Anibal Sanchez fanned Seth Smith to end the frame.

Game Notes

Florida's other no-hitters came from Al Leiter (vs. Colorado, May 11, 1996), Kevin Brown (at San Francisco, June 10, 1997) and A.J. Burnett (at San Diego, May 12, 2001)...The Rockies haven't been no-hit since Los Angeles' Hideo Nomo shut them down, September 17, 1996...Anibal Sanchez threw 123 pitches, 78 for strikes...Chacin tossed his first career shutout in his last outing -- April 15 against the Cubs.