and Aaron Cook (2008). At the 2009 All Star Game, Marquis (a former Cardinal) received one of the biggest ovations during pregame introductions of any non-Cardinal player, and then warmed up in the ninth inning but never did enter the game. On August 19, Marquis joined Adam Wainwright as the only 14-game winners in the NL, and tied for the major league lead. In 2009, Marquis was 2nd in the NL in ground ball outs induced (353) and ground balls induced (408), tied for second in double plays induced (28), 3rd in ground ball percentage (55.6%), 3rd-lowest in pitches per plate appearance (3.53), tied for 4th in wins (15), 8th in innings pitched (216.0) and home runs per 9 innings pitched (.625), 4th-lowest in pitches per inning (15.0; of NL pitchers with 160 or more innings), and tied for 6th in shutouts (1). At the plate, Marquis tied for 3rd in the major leagues among pitchers in runs scored (7), and tied for 6th in doubles (3) and RBIs (8). Marquis is one of only six major league pitchers who won at least 11 games in each year from 2004 to 2009, the others being CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe, Johan Santana, Javier Vázquez, and John Lackey. He never started fewer than 29 games during that span. When the Rockies qualified for the postseason in 2009, it marked the 10th time in 10 years (every year of his major league career) that the team for which he pitched made the playoffs. He became the first player in baseball history to have been on a playoff team in each of the first 10 years of his career while playing for at least three different teams. After the 2009 season Marquis became a free agent. The Rockies offered him arbitration, but he rejected their offer of a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for the possibility that he will receive a multi-year deal. Washington Nationals (2010–11) On December 22, 2009, Marquis signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Washington Nationals for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Marquis had 3 starts early in the 2010 season for the Nationals, posting an 0–3 record with a 20.52 ERA before being placed on the 15-day DL on April 22, 2010, with bone chips in his right elbow. He returned to action on August 8, 2010. He was much improved upon returning from his injury, but still finished the