Photo credit: @MLB_News247
By Jeremy Kahn
SAN FRANCISCO–Brandon Crawford continues to swing the bat well, and with that the San Francisco Giants broke out of their recent funk.
Crawford went 3-for-5 on the afternoon, as the Giants came back to defeat the Colorado Rockies 9-4 before a crowd of 39,195 at AT&T Park Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, the Giants put a stop to their modest three-game losing streak and defeated the Rockies best pitcher in the process.
After scoring just seven runs during the three-game losing streak, the Giants scored in every inning between the second and sixth innings.
Crawford got the ball rolling for the Giants in the bottom of the second inning, as they trailed the Rockies 2-0 at the end of an inning and a half.
After leading off the inning with a single, Crawford was forced out at second base on a Miguel Gomez ground out, Gorkys Hernandez continues his hot hitting, as he doubled to left field that sent Gomez to third base. Chris Stratton then helped out his own cause, as he drove in his first major league run with a ground out to Trevor Story at shortstop.
The Giants took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning, as they loaded the bases, as Andrew McCutchen singled, Buster Posey singled, then Brandon Belt walked to load the bases. After Evan Longoria flew out for the first out of the inning, Crawford lashed a double down the left field line that scored both McCutchen and Posey.
Gomez then got in on the act, as he singled in Belt for the third run of the inning and the Giants took a 4-2 lead.
After the Rockies cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth inning, as Daniel Castro grounded into a double play that scored Desmond, the Giants came back with a run of their run in the bottom of the inning.
Gregor Blanco tripled just past the second baseman, and after both McCutchen and Posey were unable to bring in Blanco, Belt greeted reliever Chris Rusin with a single to right-center field to extend the Giants lead up to 5-3.
The Rockies would not go away, as they clawed back in it to get within one run, as Blackmon led off the inning with a single of his own. Gerardo Parra then singled Blackmon to third base.
The defensive play of the game came up next, as Story hit a single to right that scored Blackmon and McCutchen came up throwing and tried to get Parra at third base. Bruce Bochy challenged the call, as it looked like Longoria tagged Parra and after a 1:57 review, the call was reversed.
McCutchen blew the game wide open in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he hit a two –run double that scored Austin Jackson, who picked up a pinch-hit single off of Rusin and Gomez, who led off the inning with a single of his own.
Crawford capped off his big day in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he hit a two-run home run off of Brooks Pounders.
Over his last 18 games, Crawford is 31-for-69 (.448) with 16 runs batted in and thru the first six games of the home stand, he is 12-for-22, a .545 clip.
Every member of the Giants starting lineup with the exception of Stratton picked up a hit, as McCutchen joined Crawford with three hits. Posey, Belt and Gomez each picked up two hits, as the Giants got 17 hits on the afternoon.
Stratton went the minimum five innings, as he allowed four runs (three earned), allowing eight hits, walking two and striking out one, as he won for the fifth time this season.
Gray, who was unable to get out of the fourth inning, allowed five runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out four and saw his record fall to 4-6 on the season.
NOTES: Ty Blach looks to end the series and the home stand on a high note, as he takes the mound on Sunday afternoon, while the Rockies will send Tyler Anderson to the mound.
Mac Williamson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in his first rehab game on Friday for the Sacramento Rivercats against the Salt Lake Bees. Williamson last played on April 24, a span of 24 games after crashing into the wall near the Giants bullpen in left field and suffered a concussion.
Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 in the same game, as is now hitting .314 with two doubles and five runs batted in in his 13 games with the Rivercats. Over his last seven games, Pence is hitting .393, as he is 11-for-28 during that stretch.
UP NEXT: The Giants and Rockies’ series finale is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm PST.
