Giants Score Plenty To Back Samardzija, Snap Five-Game Skid
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - For a night, the San Francisco Giants delivered the key hits with runners in scoring position. They got contributions from throughout the order, made things happen on the basepaths and did all the little things. Music blared in a victorious clubhouse.
San Francisco finally got Jeff Samardzija back in the win column, too.
Buster Posey hit an RBI double in the first and a sacrifice fly two innings later, Samardzija struck out five pitching into the seventh and the Giants snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Colorado Rockies 9-2 on Monday night.
"That's the fun thing about this team, even when it's not going well, it's easy to go out there and give everything you've got because you know they're out there doing the same. And it's going to happen," Samardzija said of his teammates. "It's a great lineup, and you can't keep it down for too long."
Brandon Belt and Denard Span each added run-scoring triples to back Samardzija (3-9), who lost his first three starts against the Rockies this year. He won for the first time in four total starts after losing his previous two decisions since beating the Brewers on June 5.
Joe Panik hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth as San Francisco went ahead 5-0 against Rockies rookie right-hander German Marquez (5-4), then Panik added an RBI single in the eighth. Brandon Crawford played sparkling defense at shortstop and hit an RBI single in the seventh as the Giants ended a nine-game losing streak to Colorado with just their second win in 14 games overall.
"There's a lot of talent in this offense, and there's no reason why we can't get consistent putting runs on the board," manager Bruce Bochy said.
Colorado dropped its season-high sixth straight game a day after surrendering a record five runs on wild pitches by Adam Ottavino in a forgettable 12-6 loss to Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. The skid comes on the heels of a six-game winning streak.
"Just a lot of not good," Rockies left fielder Ian Desmond said. "Just seems like things are going bad right now, but we'll turn it around."
After DJ LeMahieu's third-inning single, Samardzija retired the next 10 Rockies in order before Mark Reynolds singled to start the seventh. Samardzija left to a standing ovation after allowing Trevor Story's one-out single three batters later. The big right-hander didn't walk a batter in 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.
Tony Wolters also singled in a run for the Rockies.
Marquez, who had allowed only three earned runs in his last three starts, was tagged for five runs and seven hits in four innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: OF Carlos Gonzalez was placed on the 10-day disabled with a strained right shoulder that had kept him out the past three games. Manager Bud Black said neither the training staff nor Gonzalez were sure he would even be ready by the start of a weekend series Friday at Arizona, so this was the best decision. Gonzalez is expected to return next Monday. Colorado also placed LHP Tyler Anderson on the DL with inflammation in the back of his left knee near the hamstring. He felt it during his Sunday start at Dodger Stadium in what had been described as a cramp, but the Rockies thought that could become a strain and made the precautionary move to shut him down. RHP Jairo Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and righty Chad Qualls was activated from the DL. ... LHP Kyle Freeland will start Wednesday. Given the Rockies' short bench, he pinch hit in the fifth.
Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner, sidelined since spraining his pitching shoulder in a Colorado dirt bike accident, reported "Yeah, it went good," from his Sunday outing at the Arizona Rookie League. He is set to make another rehab outing Friday with Triple-A Sacramento, then at least one more, probably with Class A Stockton. ... LF Austin Slater, who exited Sunday against the Mets in the seventh inning with tightness in his right hip flexor, was set to be available for pinch-hit duties Monday and Tuesday and potentially start again in Wednesday afternoon's series finale.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Jeff Hoffman (4-1, 4.29 ERA) allowed a career-high nine runs his last time out Wednesday against Arizona, but Colorado is 5-1 in his six starts.
Giants: RHP Matt Cain (3-7, 5.54) tries to end a stretch of six straight losing decisions since his last win May 15 against the Dodgers.
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