DENVER -- Before the National League Division Series began, Rockies manager Bud Black sat down to talk with German Marquez. Their conversation wasn't anything profound, Black said. There was no indecisiveness, only confidence. Marquez was going to start Game 3.
The pressure of that assignment only intensified over the last two days at Miller Park as the Brewers jumped out to a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Rockies. Now, it falls upon Marquez to keep Colorado's season alive on Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.
:: NLDS schedule and results ::
It's a lot of responsibility for a 23-year-old making his first postseason start after only his second full big league season. Following Marquez in the Coors Field interview room on Saturday's off-day, Black called his starter a "cool customer" and predicted -- accurately -- that Marquez had just shown as much. Indeed, Marquez hardly seemed nervous on the eve of the most important start he has ever made.
"I believe in my team. This is a great team. We've fought together to get to this point, and there's no really additional pressure," Marquez said, with first-base coach Tony Diaz interpreting. "We prepare. We get ready to fight, and we're still grateful for being here. And I'm going to do my best, and I'm sure my teammates are going to do their best to hopefully win this game."
The Rockies have to like their odds with Marquez on the mound, especially at home. The hard-throwing right-hander thrived down the stretch, posting a 2.61 ERA as Colorado won nine of his 14 starts after the All-Star break. He put together a 1.90 ERA over his last seven starts at Coors Field, six of them won by Colorado.
Marquez can draw on his recent experience in the spotlight, too, after losing Game 163 at Dodger Stadium on Monday.
"The process, my preparation doesn't change. I've been doing this, especially after the All-Star break," Marquez said. "I've put a lot of my confidence in my preparation, and that's not changing. So I know it's a big game, but the process doesn't change."
The Rockies could have acted with greater urgency when the Brewers pushed them to the brink of elimination. After throwing 6 2/3 scoreless innings on three days' rest against the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Game at Wrigley Field, left-hander Kyle Freeland is available to pitch on regular rest Sunday. Colorado could have called upon the hometown hero, one of the best pitchers in the NL this season, to pitch the franchise's first postseason home game since 2009.
Instead, the Rockies decided to save Freeland for Game 4. They believe Marquez, backed by a road-weary lineup that is bound to perform better with a day of rest and their crowd behind them, will turn that if-necessary Game 4 into a chance to send the series back to Milwaukee.
"He's ready for this," Black said.

Marquez proved it in the second half. After the break, Cy Young Award favorite Jacob deGrom was the only NL starter to record more Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs. Only Max Scherzer and deGrom struck out a higher percentage of the hitters they faced in the second half.
Marquez has possessed electrifying stuff since the Rockies acquired him and reliever Jake McGee for outfielder Corey Dickerson in January 2016. Brewers manager Craig Counsell remembered seeing Marquez strike out seven Milwaukee hitters on the final day of the 2016 season and thinking, "Wow, this is a really special arm."
Marquez came into his own this season by increasing his slider usage (15.1 percent, up from 4 percent a year ago) and relying less on a four-seam fastball that averages 95.3 mph. He now offers a legitimate five-pitch arsenal that has turned him into one of the NL's premier strikeout artists.
"You see in his last five, six starts, the strikeouts are really piling up. It's something to take note of," Counsell said. "He's got the stuff. It makes sense that there's strikeouts in there because the stuff says strikeout stuff. … He is a guy we have to make throw strikes, and that's easier said than done with his stuff, but we can put some pressure on him by making him be in the strike zone."

At some point before Sunday's game, Black will sit down to talk with Marquez again. That conversation won't be anything profound, either, only another vote of confidence.
"Do your thing. You've had a great season," Black said he'll tell his starter. "You're in great position physically and mentally to go out tomorrow and throw well."