SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler each had three hits, and the San Francisco Giants finished off a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 5-4 victory Sunday.
It was San Francisco’s first four-game sweep since 2022. The Giants have beaten Colorado 12 straight times at home, tying a Rockies record for most consecutive losses at an opposing ballpark.
The Giants improved to two games under .500 as they look to make a playoff push, with their next 13 games coming against teams with losing records.
“If we’re going to move forward, we have to get to .500,” manager Bob Melvin said. “But it was nice to be able to string a few wins together and get that feeling when you take the field — like we took the field today — we felt like we were going to win the game.”
With the trade deadline looming Tuesday, the series sweep generated confidence inside the Giants’ clubhouse.
“Everybody here in this room, we believe in each other,” Chapman said. “We believe that our best baseball is ahead of us.”
Trailing 5-3 heading into the ninth inning, the Rockies scored once and had the potential tying run at second base with one out against closer Camilo Doval. But then Sam Hilliard struck out and Ezequiel Tovar — who had three hits — grounded out to give Doval his 20th save.
Casey Schmitt hit a solo homer in the first to put the Giants ahead. In the second, Derek Hill had an RBI triple and Soler drove him in with a double to make it 3-0.
Chapman’s two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth gave the Giants a 5-2 lead.
San Francisco used six pitchers in a bullpen game, including Jordan Hicks, who transitioned to the ‘pen on Sunday after spending the first half of the season in the starting rotation. Hicks entered in the sixth and allowed two runs in two innings. Randy Rodríguez (3-1) permitted one run in three innings for the win.
Colorado loaded the bases in the eighth with two outs but Spencer Bivens got Brendan Rodgers to ground out.
Michael Toglia homered, and Charlie Blackmon and Hunter Goodman each had an RBI single for the Rockies. Tovar extended his hitting streak to 15 games, tying a career high.
After scoring 20 runs against Boston on Wednesday, the Rockies totaled just nine during the four-game series. They struck out 53 times, the most by Giants pitchers in a four-game series.
“Our offense took a little bit of a downturn here, which was so surprising and frustrating at the same time coming off the homestand — especially 20-run game on Wednesday — with a lot of confidence coming in here,” manager Bud Black said. “We just didn’t hit enough.”
Austin Gomber (2-7) pitched into the fourth inning, allowing three runs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: CF Brenton Doyle exited before the third inning with a bruised fingertip on his throwing hand. Black said Doyle, after striking out in the first, accidentally hit the training kit in the dugout while taking “a little swing with the towel” out of frustration. Doyle, the Rockies’ third-place hitter on Sunday, is batting .274 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs. “It’s going to eventually impact his throwing and impact maybe his ability to grip the bat, so out of precaution I took him out,” Black said. … OF Jordan Beck (broken left hand) went 2 for 3 and scored a run in his first rehab game with Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.
Giants: RHP Alex Cobb, who has been recovering from offseason hip surgery, developed a blister in his most recent rehab start, delaying his scheduled return this week. … All-Star OF Heliot Ramos was out of the lineup with a right thumb injury, which is not believed to be serious. … RHP Sean Hjelle was placed on the bereavement list.
UP NEXT
Rockies: Continue a 10-game West Coast trip Tuesday with the opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels. RHP Cal Quantrill (7-7, 4.09 ERA) pitches for Colorado.
Giants: Will host Oakland in the Bay Bridge Series for two games beginning Tuesday. The team had not yet announced a scheduled starter.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
