The Colorado Rockies Charlie Blackmon rips a pinch three run home run in the top of the sixth inning to put the Rockies up for good against San Francisco Giants pitcher Jose Avarez at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Jun 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

Colorado. 5. 8. 0

San Francisco. 3. 5. 1

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants, after completing an unsatisfying 5-5 trip to Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Miami, returned to Oracle Park with a record of 29-25, which put them in third place in the NL West, 5-1/2 games behind the Dodgers. The Rockies scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning that put them ahead for good in a 5-3 win over the Giants at Oracle Field in San Francisco on Tuesday night.

It was the first of a three game series against the Colorado Rockies, who, at 24-31, are mired in the division cellar, 6-1/2 games behind the Giants. Next on the Giants’ schedule are two more three games series, the first against the league leading Dodgers and the second an interleague joust against the Kansas City Royals.

The starting times for these nine contests vary greatly, and John Shea has an excellent article in today’s online edition of the Chronicle, which I recommend highly, on the vagaries of MLB’s scheduling policy.

The Giants’ starting pitcher was the left handed six year veteran Carlos Rodón, who took the mound at 4-4,3.44, with a WHIP of 1.25. He features a four seamer, a slider, a changeup, and a curve.

In his one previous appearance against Colorado this season, he went six innings against them at Oracle on May 9, earning the win by holding the visitors to two runs, earned, on six hits and two walks, while striking out an even dozen.

Rodón’ s opposite number for the Rox, Germán Márquez, toed the rubber at an unimpressive 1-5, 6.71 and a 1.62 WHIP. Lest you think that those numbers are the price he pays for pitching at Coors Field, Márquez came to SF with a record of 0-3, 6.89 on the road.

The 27 year old righty has a year’s less big league experience than Rodón. His most frequently used pitches are the fastball and slider, which he supplements with a sinker and curve.

Before game time,, the Giants announced the return of Darin Ruf from the Bereavement List and Sam Long’s recall from Sacramento. In corresponding moves, Alex Cobb was added to the 15 day Injured List with a strained neck and Jason Vosler was optioned to the River Cats.

When the game had ended, the Rockies had won. Brandon Crawford had been forced to leave the game with tightness in his right groin.

Game recap: Colorado jumped off to an early lead. Connor Joe led off with a drive that seemed to bounce off the GAME UP sign in left center over the glove of a leaping Joc Pederson.

The ball was ruled in play, but crew chief Alan Porter called for a review, and the call was overturned. The ball had landed over the fence 373. feet from the plate and bounded back onto the field for Joe’s fifth home run and 14th RBI of the season.

The Giants came roaring back in their half of the initial frame. With one out, Mike Yastrzemski drew a full count walk and trotted home on Wilmer Flores’s 372 foot round tripper to right center off a 95mph sinker. It was his seventh homer and 32nd and 33rd runs batted in of the year.

Joc Pederson followed with a broken bat single to right center and moved up a base on Brandon Crawford’s ground out to third. After Evan Longoria walked, Luis González drove Pederson in with San Francisco’s third tally of the frame.

Connor Joe’s legs carried the Rockies to within a run of their hosts in the third. He led off by beating Donovan Walton’s soft shuffle to first of the grounder he’d hit to the Giants’ second baseman. After reaching second on Yonathan Daza’s single to right, the Rockies’ designated hitter stole third and then scored on CJ Cron’s sacrifice line drive to right. It now was 3-2, San Francisco.

After only four innings, Rodón had thrown 98 pitches and was done for the evening. Both of the runs he allowed were earned, and they came on four hits and a walk while striking out five. 69 of his offerings counted as strikes.

John Brebbia relieved him, followed by Zack Littell in the sixth, who was greeted by up the middle singles by José Iglesias and Randal Grichuk. Elehuris Montero moved both of them into scoring position with. a ground out, Flores to Littell, covering. That brought José Alvarez to the mound.

He faced Charlie Blackmon, pinch hitting for Garrett Hampson. Blackmon drove a 1-2 change up 423 feet into the right field night, putting the Blake Street Bombers up, 5-3. Two of the three runs were charged to Litell, who also was charged with the loss, bringing his season’s record to 1-3,5.40.

It was southpaw Sam Long in the box for the home team. in the seventh. He was the first Giant hurler to set the Rockies down in order. González made a nifty sliding catch of Iglesias’s sinking liner to right to open the eighth, in which Long also retired the side 1,2,3. In a bit of retroball, he also shut the Rox down in the ninth, although he allowed a 3-2 walk in his third inning of relief.

Márquez was through after completing six innings of labor. He allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits, one for the distance, four walks, a wild pitch and a hit batter. Of his 105 deliveries, 40 were balls. He was the winning pitcher and now stands 2-5, 6.49.

Tyler Kinley was his replacement. Alex Colomé took over from Kinley in the bottom of the eighth. Daniel Bard came in to pitch the ninth and earned his 12th save of 2022 with a perfect frame.

Tonight´s antagonists will face each other again tomorrow at 6:45. Right hander Antonio Senzatela (2-3,5,40) will start for the Rockies, and southpaw Alex Wood (3-5,4.66) will handle the initial mound chores for San Francisco.