SAN FRANCISCO — The formula that delivered the Rockies a rare victory over the Giants on Friday night — solid starting pitching and a heroic homer — was nowhere to be found Saturday afternoon.
The Giants’ hitters roughed up right-hander Connor Seabold early and Colorado’s bats went silent for a good chunk of the game as the Giants prevailed, 5-3, at Oracle Park.
San Francisco, which has won 12 of its last 13 games vs. Colorado, improved to 33-10 against its National League West foe since the start of the 2021 season, the best record by any team in a divisional matchup over that span.
As the All-Star break comes into view, the Rockies are struggling. Since May 22, they are 4-22, a .154 winning percentage that is the lowest in the majors during that span. During those 26 games, Colorado starting pitchers have a 7.44 ERA, the highest in the majors.
Colorado staged a two-out rally in the eighth, scoring a run on Kris Bryant’s ground-rule double to left, followed by singles from C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk. But San Francisco right-hander Tyler Rogers, who served up the game-winning three-run homer to Ezequiel Tovar Friday night, got pinch-hitter Elias Diaz to pop out to short.
Seabold’s start wasn’t pretty but it could have been really ugly, so credit the right-hander for hanging tough, albeit in an abbreviated start. Over 3 2/3 innings he was charged with three runs on seven hits and needed 73 pitches to get there. He struck out three and walked one.
“I don’t think I pitched bad today, but that lineup made me work. They don’t swing at anything out of the zone,” said Seabold, who’s lost four consecutive starts while posting a 12.96 ERA.
“I had a lot of my stuff working,” Seabold continued. “The fastball wasn’t getting to my glove side, but other than that, it wasn’t that bad a day.”
In the opening frame, Joc Pederson hit a one-out double and trotted home on Michael Conforto’s two-run, opposite-field homer to left. Conforto’s blast was the ninth time Seabold served up a homer over his last four games. And when Seabold subsequently walked Mike Yastrzemski, a first-inning meltdown looked eminent. But Seabold fanned Patrick Bailey to end the inning and then held the Giants scoreless through the third inning, despite some traffic.
“He’s cutting his teeth against major league hitters and he’s learning,” manager Bud Black said of Seabold. “He’s learning what works with his stuff and what doesn’t. … He had to really work to get his outs.”
San Francisco broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth, combining Bailey’s leadoff double off Seabold with Blake Sabol’s run-scoring single.
The back-breaker was Justin Slater’s pinch-hit homer in the fifth off Colorado lefty Brad Hand. Conforto punched a single to left before Slater deposited Hand’s 81.6 mph slider deep into the seats in left-center.
Hand has given up a home run in each of his last three outings after not serving up a homer in his first 30 appearances. Hand’s ERA rose to 5.16.
Colorado scored a run in its first at-bat, cobbing together a single by Ryan McMahon, a walk by Bryant and an RBI single by C.J. Cron off Giants “opener” Ryan Walker. Colorado tied the game, 2-2, in the second on a two-out, solo homer by catcher Austin Wynns. It was Wynns’ first home run of the season.
Lefty Alex Wood, usually a starter, blanked Colorado for five innings, giving up three hits and striking out three to pick up the win.
“He’s a good pitcher, and especially in this park he always seems to pitch well against us,” Black said. “It’s a deceptive delivery — quick, upbeat — and he keeps the ball down.”
The Rockies and Giants play their final game before the All-Star break on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday’s pitching matchup
Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (4-9, 4.93 ERA) at Giants RHP Logan Webb (7-7, 3.38)
2:05 p.m. Sunday, Oracle Park
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM
Freeland would certainly like to head into the All-Star break on a high note. The lefty, who’s trying to figure out why his fastball velocity is dipping, is coming off his ninth loss of the season. He lost at Houston, allowing four runs on nine hits across 6 2/3 innings, and he’s 0-5 with an 6.95 ERA over his last nine starts. He carries a career record of 7-5 with a 4.10 ERA (109.2 IP, 50 ER) in 20 starts against the Giants. Webb is coming off a strong start vs. the Mariners on Monday. He gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks while fanning 11 across 6 2/3 innings. He received a no-decision in the Giants’ 6-5 loss. Webb’s pitched well against Colorado, going 6-2 with a 3.97 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). He’s struck out 59 and walked only 16.
Pitching probables
Monday-Thursday: All-Star break
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