Giants sweep Rockies with three-run in the 9th
The Giants’ Brandon Crawford sprints toward first after hitting a game-tying RBI double in the ninth inning against the Rockies on Thursday. Geneva Heffernan/Associated Press
2023.06.08 – Brandon Crawford had a pinch-hit RBI double to spark a three-run in the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Thursday to take a three game sweep series.
Michael Conforto and Thairo Estrada homered to help San Francisco sweep its seventh straight series from Colorado. Scott Alexander (5-0) got the win with an inning of relief.
“It’s very challenging to come to Coors Field to win a series, period,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “So to win all three and get out of here relatively healthy is a testament to the work the guys did.”
Nolan Jones had three hits for the Rockies. They have lost four straight.
San Francisco is 16-3 at Coors Field dating to Sept. 6, 2021, and has won eight straight in Denver. That streak was in jeopardy until a late rally against Colorado closer Pierce Johnson (0-3).
Johnson walked the first two batters and Crawford doubled on an 0-2 pitch to right-center field to tie it. LaMonte Wade Jr.’s sacrifice fly put the Giants ahead and Joc Pederson’s run-scoring single capped the rally.
The Rockies got all of their run in the first inning off Alex Cobb. After Estrada hit his seventh home run in the top of the first inning, Colorado had three singles and a hit batter to tie it and load the bases. Jones brought two home with a single and rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar doubled to give Colorado a 4-1 lead.
Conforto got the Giants within a run in the sixth when he homered following a triple by J.D. Davis to end starter Chase Anderson’s day.
2023.06.08 (SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies) See Full Highlights
The Giants’ Brandon Crawford hit a pinch-hit RBI double to spark a three-run ninth inning against the Rockies on Thursday. Geneva Heffernan/Associated Press
2023.06.08 (SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies) See Full Highlights
2023.06.08 (SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies) See Full Highlights
Anderson was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on May 12 and made his Rockies debut against Cincinnati four days later, tossing five innings against his former team. He allowed three runs and struck out a season-high seven in 5 1/3 innings Thursday.
“Overall, it was good but I’d like to have a couple of pitches back,” Anderson said. “I know those probably aren’t homers in most parks but they still count here.”
Anderson still hasn’t had a decision in five starts with the Rockies.
“It is frustrating but if I go out and do my job and put the team in a good position that’s all I can do,” Anderson said.
Crawford entered the game batting .188 but .303 with runners in scoring position and three hits in six at-bats against Colorado closer Johnson.
“I was just kind of trying to lock the swing in,” Crawford said. “I’ve faced Pierce a handful of times now so I know what he has and I was just not trying to do too much in that situation and just get the barrel on the ball.”
Perhaps that’s the approach Crawford should take now. “I was trying to keep it simple and not do too much, so maybe use that going forward from the start,” he said. “Just trust my swing, trust my hands.”
2023.06.08 – SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies (95.7 TheGame – post-game)
LaMonte Wade Jr. connects for the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning in Denver on Thursday. Geneva Heffernan/Associated Press
2023.06.08 – SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies (95.7 TheGame – post-game)
2023.06.08 – SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies (95.7 TheGame – post-game)
The second called strike on Crawford was up out of the zone, so he knew he had to cover even more of the plate “and at least advance the runners,” he said. “Fortunately, I did a little more than that.”
Casey Schmitt, as manager Gabe Kapler noted, has been in a bit of a funk, with three hits in his past 25 at-bats, including 0-for-3 Thursday.
It was the team’s 11th consecutive victory over the Rockies and its second comeback win in a row. Before Wednesday, San Francisco was 1-25 when trailing after seven innings.
“I think it shows that we never give up,” Crawford said of the two late rallies. “Especially here in Colorado, I feel like no lead’s ever safe. So we treat it that way from the defensive side, too; we need to get every out that we can, not let them advance bases, stuff like that. From the offensive side, we also know that we can bounce back and put a couple on the board late in the game.
COBB GRINDS THROUGH
The Rockies jumped on Cobb for four runs in the first, his second-worst start of the season — the worst was just two starts earlier. Cobb was working on four days’ rest rather than getting the extra day off that Monday’s off-day might have afforded. On regular rest, he has a 4.13 ERA this year, and with five days, he has a 1.69 ERA.
Cobb left numerous sinkers up in the zone in the first inning, which included five hits, a hit batter and a walk, but he allowed only three more hits in the next four innings.
2023.06.08 – SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies (Krueger Show post game)
Giants teammates J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto celebrate after Conforto hit two-run homer in the sixth inning to trim their team’s deficit to one. Geneva Heffernan/Associated Press
2023.06.08 – SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies (Krueger Show post game)
2023.06.08 – SF Giants @ Colorado Rockies (Krueger Show post game)
The altitude might have been a factor — movement often is affected — but Cobb said that he made an adjustment in his delivery after the first inning that helped ensure he was on target. “My biggest issue is my direction,” he said. “If my direction’s off a little bit, then my pitches flatten out.”
In the fifth inning, he grabbed his left hip after landing awkwardly in his delivery and was checked by a trainer, but remained in the game. That was his final inning. “I’m not really quite sure what happened,” Cobb said. “I just landed and had like a sharp shooting pain in my hip area and it slowly went away the more pitches I threw.”
“I have no idea what happened,” Cobb said. “Maybe muscle fatigue but zero concerned going forward with it.”
Camilo Doval worked the ninth for the second game in a row and earned his 16th save.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: C Patrick Bailey (neck tightness) was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game. Kapler said Bailey’s tightness resulted from sleeping on his neck wrong the first night in Denver.
UP NEXT
Giants: Head home for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs before going back on the road. They have not announced a starter for the opener Friday night.
Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (4-4, 6.99) opens a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
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