Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO–Brandon Belt gave the San Francisco Giants the lead for good with one swing of the bat.

Belt hit a three-run home run off of Jake McGee in the bottom of the seventh inning, helping the Giants to a come-from-behind 9-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies before a crowd of 40,334 at AT&T Park Sunday.

“You feel good when he is up there,” said Bruce Bochy.

With the victory, the Giants gained a split in their first series against the Rockies, who they will see beginning on May 28 for a three-game series at Coors Field.

The Giants also finished the home stand on a high note, as they won the final two games of the home stand and went 4-3 against the Cincinnati Reds and Rockies.

Gorkys Hernandez hit his fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning, a two-run blast to straightaway centerfield that looked like a lazy fly ball; however, the Bay Area wind let it sail over the centerfield wall to get the Giants within a run of the Rockies. Miguel Gomez hit a pinch-hit single just before the Hernandez home run.

“Gorkys had a huge hit, Tommy (Tomlinson) had a huge hit into the gap,” said Bochy.

Just one inning later, the Giants took their first lead of the game, as Kelby Tomlinson tripled to the left-center field wall that scored both Belt, who singled to lead off the inning and Brandon Crawford, who walked with one out.

“Just trying to put together a nice at-bat, swung the bat well today and yesterday,” said Tomlinson.

The Rockies tied up the game in the top of the seventh inning, as Ian Desmond walked to lead off the inning, then stole second and went to third on a Nick Hundley throwing error. Nolan Arenado then tied up the game with a single up the middle off of Giants reliever Sam Dyson.

Ty Blach went just 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out one, as he did not fare in the decision.

Like Blach, Tyler Anderson did not fare in the decision for the Rockies, as he went 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four.

Hernandez got the rally started in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he singled to lead off the inning, and after a Buster Posey fly out to centerfield, Evan Longoria then walked and then Belt hit his 11thhome run of the season. Hundley then extended the lead, as he hit his fifth home run of the season.

The Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Posey tripled to the 421’ mark in right-center field and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Noel Cuevas, who made a terrific catch to take an extra base hit away from Longoria.

The Rockies finally broke through in the top of the fourth inning, as Trevor Story doubled in Arenado, who led off the inning with a single. Cuevas then singled to score Story from second base.

Blach was then sent to the showers in the top of the fifth inning, as Anderson helped out his own cause, as he singled to lead off the inning and then on a Story single. After Chris Iannetta popped out for the second out of the inning, Cuevas drove in his second run of the game, with a bases loaded walk to give the Rockies a 4-1 lead.

Will Smith continues to make great strides as he comes back from Tommy John Surgery that kept him out for the entire 2017 season. In his only inning of work, Smith struck out the side.

“He has been throwing the ball so well,” said Bochy.

NOTES: After an off-day on Monday, the Giants open a brief two-game series at Minute Maid Park against the defending World Champion Houston Astros. Andrew Suarez will take the mound in the opener for the Giants, while Gerrit Cole will take the mound for the Astros.

The off-day on Monday, will be their first off-day since May 3, the day before the beginning of their three-city, 10-road trip thru Atlanta, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. During the streak of playing 17 days in a row, the Giants went 8-9.

Mac Williamson continues to swing the bat well, as he through his first two games with the Sacramento Rivercats on his rehab assignment, Williamson is 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a double and two home runs and six runs batted in.

Hunter Pence went 2-for-5 on Saturday night with an RBI, and is now hitting .321 (18-for-56) with two doubles, six RBIs, and four walks in his 14 games with the Rivercats, as he recovers from his sprained right thumb.

UP NEXT: The Giants will return to action Tuesday against the Astros at 5:10 pm PST.