Fitzgerald hits 2 homers, Harrison strikes out 11 and Giants beat Rockies 11-4
SAN FRANCISCO -- Tyler Fitzgerald continued his power surge with two home runs, Kyle Harrison tied a career high with 11 strikeouts, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 11-4 on Friday night.
Fitzgerald, with a pair of two-run homers, became the first Giants player to hit seven home runs in an eight-game span since Barry Bonds in 2004. The rookie shortstop had a five-game homer streak that was snapped on Wednesday.
"It's one of those weird things that's going to happen," Fitzgerald said. "I'm not up there trying to hit homers, but God's got plans in store for me, I guess. I don't know what to say about it."
Fitzgerald, who said this is probably the most homers he's hit in an eight-game span in his life, said he's seeing the ball well.
"Earlier in the year when I wasn't playing much, I was just trying to get on base," Fitzgerald said. "Now I'm kind of going up there not to hit a homer, but swinging a little bit harder and trying to do damage."
Harrison (6-4) held the Rockies to a run on one hit. He struck out six of the last nine batters he faced, tipping his cap to the home crowd after he departed following a two-out walk in the seventh. He improved to 3-0 in five career starts against the Rockies.
Manager Bob Melvin praised Harrison for going deep into the game, especially with the teams playing a scheduled doubleheader on Saturday.
"Probably the first time he's thrown 106 pitches in his career, I'm sure," Melvin said. "But we needed it today."
Rockies manager Bud Black said before the game that Harrison has "had our number."
"The thing that's gotten us is his fastball — sneaky velocity at the top of the zone," Black said. "And we just haven't been able to handle it."
Jorge Soler also had three hits, including a leadoff homer, reaching base all five times. Soler drilled a hanging offspeed pitch from Rockies starter Kyle Freeland (2-4) to start the game. He added RBI singles in the second and fourth innings.
Freeland allowed six runs in four innings, though he had eight strikeouts to surpass Ubaldo Jiménez for fourth most in Rockies history.
Fitzgerald followed Soler's two-out hit in the fourth with a two-run blast that put the Giants ahead 6-1. He then homered in the sixth to push the lead to 8-1. Heliot Ramos added a three-run homer in the eighth.
"Now he's getting consistent playing time," Melvin said of Fitzgerald. "There's a ton of ability there. There's power, there's speed, (he) can play multiple positions. There's a lot to like."
Brenton Doyle knocked in two runs with a triple in the eighth inning for the Rockies.
The Giants had dropped five of seven since the All-Star break, including two of three in Colorado to start the second half.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: OF Jordan Beck (broken hand) is moving his rehab assignment up to Triple-A Albuquerque. … OF Nolan Jones (back) is rehabbing at the team's spring training facility in Scottsdale.
Giants: RHP Keaton Winn will undergo season-ending elbow surgery next week. … IF Thairo Estrada (wrist) was placed on the 10-day injured list, and IF Casey Schmitt was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento. … OF Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder), who underwent season-ending surgery earlier in the year, is progressing well and is almost ready to play catch. He is expected to be ready for spring training next year.
UP NEXT
The teams play a doubleheader on Saturday. LHP Blake Snell (0-3, 5.83 ERA) pitches for the Giants against RHP Ryan Feltner (1-10, 5.19 ERA) for the Rockies in Game 1. Game 2 starters were not yet announced.
