San Francisco Giants’ Joe Panik smiles after his single off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Shane Carle to lead off the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Denver. The Giants won 11-3. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By Jeremy Harness

 On Wednesday, the Giants experienced a new low – yeah, there was a new one – but there was also a high that the team has never experienced before.

 Second baseman Joe Panik absolutely torched the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday with five hits to point the Giants toward a 11-3 win at Coors Field, a place that his team, even when things are going much better, have found it very difficult to get wins over the years.

 In the process, Panik tied a franchise record by collecting 11 hits in a three-game series, the first time that has occurred since 1995. He also saw his average climb to .285 and drive in a pair of runs and scored three more.

 The Giants got the hit parade going off Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (11-10, 3.89 ERA) very quickly on Wednesday, racing out to a 5-0 lead in the first four innings, including a first inning that saw rookie Austin Slater single in a pair of runs.

 Panik had a pair of doubles, both of which drove in runs and added to the Giants’ lead. In addition to panic, four other Giants had multi-hit games, including center fielder Gorkys Hernandez, who had a pair of hits that drove in three runs.

 Meanwhile, Johnny Cueto (7-7, 4.54 ERA) went five innings and surrendered only a run on five hits, walking only one batter and striking out seven, picking up his first win since June 30 at Pittsburgh. When Cueto exited the game, four relievers combined to give up two runs on three hits.

Now for the low.

 Pablo Sandoval, whom the Giants welcomes back with open arms this season, set a new franchise record on Wednesday by going hitless over 38 straight at-bats. His last hit came on Aug. 25, when he singled against the Arizona Diamondbacks.