San Francisco, CA (Worldwide Gamble) - Marco Scutaro hit a go-ahead leadoff
homer in the top of the ninth inning on Tuesday and the Rockies defeated the
Giants, 5-4, in the finale of two-game series.
The Giants scored three runs in the seventh to tie the game, but left the
bases loaded in the eighth and Scutaro got just enough of a 1-2 fastball from
Santiago Casilla (0-2) to send it over the left field wall in the ninth.
Rex Brothers (2-2) pitched out of the bases-loaded jam in the eighth,
striking out Brandon Belt and Melky Cabrera to end the inning and Rafael
Betancourt fanned Nate Schierholtz with two aboard in the ninth to record his
seventh save of the season.
Jeremy Guthrie returned from the disabled list and allowed one unearned run
over 5 1/3 innings for the Rockies, who halted a four-game skid and earned a
split of the series.
"Sometimes we pitch good and we don't hit, sometimes we hit good and we don't
pitch. We just need to put those two things together and you're gonna see good
results," said Scutaro.
Although Cabrera struck out to end the eighth, he helped tie the game an
inning earlier when he hit a two-run double and later scored on Angel Pagan's
two-out single.
Tim Lincecum gave up four runs in seven innings for the Giants, who saw their
three-game win streak come to an end.
"It was one of those starts where he made some mistakes and didn't get away
with them," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Lincecum. "But I see him
getting better and better."
Josh Outman, who relieved Guthrie in the sixth, issued consecutive walks to
start the seventh. Cabrera then slapped a two-run double into the right-field
corner. Pagan's line drive single to left off of Matt Belisle brought around
Cabrera, who slid in ahead of the throw for the tying run.
Brothers walked the bases loaded with one down in the eighth before retiring
Belt and Cabrera. In the ninth, Pagan singled and Brandon Crawford walked with
two down, but Schierholtz's bat didn't leave his shoulder as Betancourt
delivered a 3-2, belt-high cutter across the middle of the plate for the
game's final out.
Gregor Blanco scored the game's initial run. He led off with a single, stole
second, moved to third on catcher Ramon Hernandez's throwing error and came
home on Belt's sacrifice fly.
A half-inning later, Troy Tulowitzki singled on the heels of Carlos Gonzalez's
double to make it 1-1.
In the sixth Tulowitzki singled again and advanced to third on an error
by Pagan. A walk to Todd Helton preceded Michael Cuddyer's double to left,
which plated Tulowitzki. Lincecum then walked Hernandez to load the bases and
Jordan Pacheco delivered with a sac fly for a 3-1 Colorado lead.
The Rockies added to their advantage with a run in the seventh before
relinquishing said advantage in the bottom half.
Tyler Colvin helped make it 4-1 when he singled, stole second, moved to third
on a throwing error by catcher Buster Posey, then came home on Gonzalez's
single.
Game Notes
Guthrie He was on the DL with an injured shoulder, which he suffered when he
fell off of his bicycle...The Giants had won 10 of their previous 12 meetings
with the Rockies dating back to last season...Giants infielder Joaquin Arias
left the game with a forearm contusion.
