Colorado Rockies Jake McCarthy is thrilled after hitting a grand slam home run against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the fifth inning at Coors Field in Denver on Fri Jul 3, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

This was a meeting of two struggling teams with similar records when the San Francisco Giants (36-51) took on the Colorado Rockies (36-53). With starter Logan Webb on the mound for the Giants Friday the game that ensued was a real shocker. Webb was absolutely blindsided. He didn’t know what hit him giving the Rockies a 7-1 lead after only three innings.

Webb had been pitching really well and so what went down was absolutely crazy. Webb finished the game allowing 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He left the game after three innings relieved by Matt Gage who had a pretty rough go as well. He allowed 4 hits and six runs. The Giants finished the game with only 8 hits, the Rockies 18. The final was a 15-3 slaughter.

GAME RECAP

Casey Schmitt singled in the first inning of the Giants matchup with the Colorado Rockies. Both of these teams are really struggling with similar records so the game is expected to be somewhat competitive.

The Schmitt single was all that San Francisco could generate but it was so very early in the game. With Webb on the mound for the Giants today expectations are high since he has been pitching really well lately.

Those expectations were crushed early. The first at bat, top of the order for the Rockies Jake McCarthy hit a solo home run to right and Colorado was off to the races. Mickey Moniak singled as did Hunter Goodman and TJ Rumfield and the bases were loaded. Webb walked Carrigg and the Rockies second run of the day scored. Freeman grounded into a double play and with only two outs, Goodman scored and the Rockies had a 3-0 lead.

Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner was having a solid game through two innings. He had a three and out second inning and the Giants offense was struggling to start this game.

Webb was having an awful time only two innings into this game. He gave up a Kyle Karros single to start the second inning followed by a Ezequiel Tovar 2-run home run giving the Rockies a 5-0 lead. Webb gave up a couple more singles in the second inning but got out of the inning without further damage.

San Francisco got some offense in the top of the third inning and scored their first run of the game. Luis Arraez doubled followed by a Schmitt single that drove Arraez home. This game went into the bottom of the third with Colorado leading 5-1.

It was another disappointing inning for Webb giving up a Carrigg triple. He scored when Edouard Julien hit into a fielder’s choice extending their lead to 6-1. Webb gave up two more singles one to Ezequiel Tovar and a second to Jake McCarthy that drove Juien home and the Rockies took a 7-1 lead into the top of the fourth inning.

San Francisco got some offensive production to start the fourth inning. Jung Hoo Lee hit a bunt single advancing to second base on a throwing error by pitcher Feltner. Bryce Eldridge singled Lee home for their second run of the day.

There was a pitching change for San Francisco with Matt Gage relieving Webb. Webb had a horrendous day allowing 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks and only 2 strikeouts. Gage had a three and out bottom of the fourth. Colorado still had a significant lead going into the top of the fifth.

Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner had yet another solid inning going three and out. Colorado had more in store for the Giants. The bottom of the fifth started with a Edouard Julien walk followed by a Kyle Karros single, another single from Ezequiel Tovar and once again the bases were loaded.

McCarthy cleared the bases hitting his eighth home run, this one a grand slam and the Rockies had taken an 11-2 lead. With one out Colorado had more for San Francisco. Hunter Goodman doubled, followed by a TJ Rumfield walk and a Carrigg triple.

Both Goodman and Rumfield scored and the Colorado lead was 13-2. Tylser Freeman singled Carrigg home and the score going into the sixth was 14-2. The Rockies were just plain hitting lights out and the Giants were unable to do much about it.

The Giants Rafael Devers hit a home run in the top of the sixth inning his 15th of the season but with the score 14-3, single runs in an inning were merely a dribble. San Francisco made a pitching change mid-way through the fifth with Ryan Walker relieving Gage and he remained in the game going into the bottom of the sixth. Gage pitched 1 1/3 innings allowing 4 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks with a single strikeout. Walker had a solid bottom of the sixth inning going three and out.

It was a quick top of the seventh inning for Colorado. There was a pitching change for the Rockies in the inning with Gabriel Hughes relieving Feltner who had done a terrific job. He pitched six innings and had allowed 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks with 9 strikeouts. Despite a fielding error by Karros in the inning the score remained 14-3. San Francisco took care of the Rockies in the bottom of the seventh.

The Rockies would add one more run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a final score of 15-3. Ezequiel Tovar sacrificed Kyle Karros home. Colorado had scored in five of the eight innings played three of them with multiple runs and a grand slam.

GAME NOTES

It was an outstanding start for Feltner who pitched through six innings. It was the exteme opposite for Webb. He was coming off an outstanding June in which he was named National League Pitcher of the month but he was hit hard early in this game. He only lasted three innings giving up 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks with 2 strikeouts.

It was equally tough for San Francisco reliever Gage who allowed 4 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks and only 1 strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. When the dust had settled San Francisco pitching had collectively allowed 18 hits, 15 runs, 6 walks and only 4 strikeouts.

It was not a great day on the mound for the Giants. The Rockies leadoff batter McCarthy had a terrific game with a couple of homeruns (grand slam), 4 hits, and 6 RBIs. The Giants Rafael Devers had a couple of hits which included his 15th home run of the season and Schmitt also had a couple of hits. Other than that the San Francisco offense was pretty stagnant.

Saturday the Giants will get another crack at Colorado. Robbie Ray will start for San Francisco in game two. He will attempt to cool off the red-hot Rockies and tie up this series.

Ray comes into this game with a 7-6 win/loss record and a 3.39 ERA. Colorado will send Tomoyuki Sugano to the mound. He has a 8-4 win/loss record and a 4,80 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled for 5:10 PM.