MIAMI _ The remedy sounded simple, but it took Caleb Smith following the recipe without wavering to earn his first major league victory and give the Marlins their second consecutive series win.
Smith held the Rockies without a run while working a career-high seven innings and allowing only two singles in a tidy 3-0 win Sunday at Marlins Park.
Smith got just enough hitting support, including Miguel Rojas' fourth homer of the season, as the Marlins took two of three from the Rockies and have won four of their past five games.
It was the second consecutive outing for Smith to push double-digits in strikeouts while keeping walks to a minimum _ he fanned nine and issued just one free pass. He didn't allow a runner to advance to second base.
It has been a dramatic departure from the control problems that vexed him in his first three starts when he walked 12 1/3 innings.
After serving five walks on the way to an exit after 2 1/3 innings recently in New York, Smith was given a directive.
"Just attack the strike zone," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "Challenging the strike zone and having confidence in your stuff. That was the biggest thing we were able to hopefully impress upon him that he's got the stuff to pitch in the strike zone. We just want him to be able to attack."
The rookie left-hander did so in striking out 10 in six innings in Milwaukee. He took the loss though allowed only two runs.
Sunday, Smith faced one batter over the minimum through six innings, as he allowed two singles. Catcher Bryan Holaday threw out Ian Desmond attempting to steal.
The only hint of trouble for Smith came when he walked Desmond on a full count leading off the seventh. He got the next three hitters, finishing the day by striking out David Dahl for the third time.
Smith, who threw 91 pitches, 61 for strikes, relied mainly on his four-seam fastball. He brought the heat 58 times, topping out at 95.4 mph. He also worked in the slider 20 times, getting nine strikes on his improving breaking ball, six of them called.
Smith had started his career 0-4, including one loss last season with the Yankees.
It was the seventh consecutive game in which the Marlins' starter allowed two or fewer runs.
"I think [the difference] has been strikes. We talked about it with those guys in Milwaukee; it was about let's get ahead in the count," Mattingly said. "We walked 15 over two games there and it was like, we've got to throw the ball over the plate.
"Our guys have good enough stuff that they're going to get people out. But the one thing you can't defend is the walk, and giving a team 15 extra base runners over two games, you're just not going to be able to survive that."
Sunday's result also continued a trend of Rockies inability to hit at Marlins Park, where they are 7-17 since it opened in 2012. As a team, Colorado is batting .215 in Little Havana.
The Rockies had 12 hits in three games, their fewest by far in a series at Marlins Park (20, 2013).
The Marlins didn't have great success against Rockies starter Chad Bettis, but they did enough.
Struggling rookie Lewis Brinson produced the first run with a two-out single in the second, driving a 1-2 slider the opposite way on a line to right.
Brinson came into the game batting .157, but showed positive signs by getting hits in three consecutive games for the first time. He has reached base in eight consecutive games.
Rojas then lofted his fourth homer 370 feet to left, just carrying into the Marlins' bullpen. The shortstop had four homers in four seasons prior to this.
