 walked Nolan Arenado to start the inning, and he went to second on Trevor Story's deep drive to center. Carlos Gonzalez was intentionally walked, bringing up a struggling Ian Desmond, who lined a single to right that popped out of Andrew McCutchen's glove. Iannetta followed with a single that went under Strickland's glove.The Giants had something brewing in the 10th when Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford had back-to-back singles off reliever Bryan Shaw (2-3). Shaw wiggled out of the jam with three straight grounders.In the ninth, Wade Davis found himself in a predicament. After getting two outs, the Rockies closer issued two straight walks and then hit Buster Posey. But Davis got Brandon Belt to softly line out to second and quell the threat.Pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval had an RBI single in the sixth that gave the Giants a 5-4 lead. Colorado tied it in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Desmond.Gorkys Hernandez had a solo shot and Longoria drove in three runs with a pair of doubles for a Giants team that's now dropped 11 of their last 12 at Coors Field.Andrew Suarez got off to a rough start, giving up a three-run homer to Story in the first. But the Giants left-hander settled down to retire his last eight batters in the no-decision.Rockies starter Chad Bettis was done in by Longoria, who had a two-run double in the first and another double in the sixth that tied the game.Posey was back at catcher after missing the last two games with a sore hip. He was 1 for 4 with a run scored and hit by pitch. He also threw out Charlie Blackmon trying to steal second in the seventh.TRAINER'S ROOMGiants: INF Joe Panik (left thumb) went 1 for 2 with a run scored in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Monday. ... The Giants are nearing a decision with OF Hunter Pence (right thumb), who's been on a rehab assignment. ''We'll see where we're at with him,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ... The plan for RHP Mark Melancon (strained elbow flexor) is to start ''ramping him up a little bit more, at some point go back-to-back days,'' Bochy said.Rockies: 2B DJ LeMahieu (sprained left thumb) took swings in the batting cage. ''He's getting closer,'' manager Bud Black said. ''Closer than you think.'' ... RHP Adam Ottavino was placed on the 10-day DL with a strained left oblique. ... Pinch-hitter David Dahl singled in the ninth and stole second base, banging up his left leg while sliding. He stayed in after trainers checked on him.UP NEXTGiants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (1-3, 6.23 ERA) is 4-5 against Colorado with a 3.84 ERA in 16 games.Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (4-5, 3.28 ERA) has won three of four starts this month, with a 2.05 ERA.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
Rockies look to keep momentum against Giants 21m ago• 3 min read DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies showed signs of offensive life and of succeeding at Coors Field, where they begin a series Monday with the San Francisco Giants.An 8-2 victory on Sunday over the Cincinnati Reds enabled the Rockies to win a series for just the second time this season at Coors Field, where they have a 9-12 record and have gone 2-4-1 in home series. The Rockies' other series win at Coors Field was April 23-25 when they took two of three from the San Diego Padres.The Rockies hit four home runs Sunday for the second time in a game this season, a feat they also accomplished May 2 at the Chicago Cubs. With 14 hits Sunday and 11 Saturday, the Rockies reached double digits in hits in consecutive games for the first time at home this season and the second time overall."It can propel us," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "We'll see next series here against the Giants. But there were signs this series that we're swinging the bats better." Carlos Gonzalez, whose playing time has dwindled, on Sunday went 4-for-4, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning with adding singles in each of his next three at-bats. The home run, Gonzalez's fifth of the season and his 1,300th career hit, was a mammoth 461-foot blast into the third deck in right-center field on a 2-0 fastball by Reds starter Matt Harveyl."It looked like he was on time with his swing," Black said. "He got that first fastball from Harvey on the inside part of the plate and drove it in the upper deck. That doesn't happen by accident. That happens because you're on time and you have a good swing." Gonzalez is hitting .241 with a .700 OPS and 18 RBIs. His start Sunday was his first in four games and just his 11th in 23 games this month. The left-handed-hitting Gonzalez will likely get a second consecutive start Monday when the Giants use a left-hander. Black typically starts a player the day after he homers, and the Giants are starting rookie Andrew Suarez, who is 1-4 with a 5.68 ERA.The Giants are 1-5 this season in his six starts, and Suarez is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his past three starts. On Tuesday at Houston, Suarez gave up seven hits and five runs in four innings in what became an 11-2 romp by the Astros.Chad Bettis, who is 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA, will start for the Rockies. Last Tuesday in Los Angeles, Bettis received his third straight no-decision when he gave up three hits and two runs in five innings of a 5-3 loss to the Dodgers.Bettis is 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 12 games (eight starts) against the Giants, including a no-decision May 17 at San Francisco, where he allowed five hits and three runs in six innings in Colorado's 5-3 win. Bettis is seeking his first win this season at Coors Field, where he is 0-0 with a 6.89 ERA in three starts and 14-8 with a 5.37 ERA in 54 games (36 starts).Losers of five of their past eight games, the Rockies (28-25) nonetheless have a season-high lead of 1 1/2 games in the National League West. The Giants (25-28) are three games behind in third place.After losing the rubber game of a series Sunday against the Cubs in Chicago, the Giants are 1-4 on an eight-game road trip that began in Houston and ends at Coors Field, where the Giants are making their first visit this season after going 1-9 there last year.Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford has hit just .246 with a .683 OPS in 56 games at Coors Field but is in a torrid stretch. He has hit safely in 21 of 24 games this month, batting .437 (38-for-87) with four homers and 20 RBIs. Holding his hands slightly higher has enabled Crawford to drive the ball better to all fields."I'm using my hands a lot better, and it allows me to spray the ball where it's pitched," Crawford told reporters. "A month ago, I had no chance on that fastball up and away. At best, I foul it off or pop it up."
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