Bumgarner, Giants work fast, send Rockies to 8th loss in row
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Madison Bumgarner pitched into the eighth inning to give a weary bullpen much needed rest and the San Francisco Giants beat Colorado 5-2 Saturday, handing the Rockies their eighth straight loss.
After outlasting the Rockies 3-2 in an 18-inning game that took over 5 ½ hours and ended shortly before 1 a.m., the Giants came back about 12 hours later and wrapped up this win in 2 hours, 48 minutes.
Recently acquired Kevin Pillar homered for the fourth time in six days for the Giants. Buster Posey got two hits and drove in his first run this season — the star catcher had zero RBIs in 40 at-bats over his first 12 games.
Steven Duggar and Gerardo Parra added two hits apiece as San Francisco won its third straight following a 4-9 start.
Mark Reynolds homered for the Rockies. Colorado (3-12) is off to its worst start in franchise history.
Bumgarner (1-2) allowed two runs on six hits. The big lefty struck out seven, walked one and didn’t allow a runner past first base until the sixth when Garrett Hampson doubled in Charlie Blackmon.
Bumgarner left after Chris Iannetta’s leadoff double in the eighth, angrily slapping his glove on his thigh as manager Bruce Bochy came out to replace him.
That was big for San Francisco’s bullpen after eight relievers combined for 14 scoreless innings in Friday’s marathon.
Reyes Moronta followed Bumgarner and struck out the next three. Sam Dyson pitched the ninth for his first save.
San Francisco made two stellar defensive plays as well.
Left fielder Gerardo Parra made a diving catch on Nolan Arenado’s sinking liner in the first. The Giants then turned a 1-3-5 double play in the second inning after Trevor Story singled leading off.
Colorado didn’t have much to be excited about at all.
The Rockies struck out a franchise-record 24 times in Friday’s loss and fanned 10 times on Saturday. After getting called out on strikes to end the sixth, Arenado immediately began yelling at home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn and slammed his bat to the ground before walking away.
Pillar had a sacrifice fly in the third and homered off Kyle Freeland (1-3) in the fifth. Pillar has 12 RBIs since being acquired in a trade from Toronto on April 2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt was scratched from the starting lineup after scoring the winning run Friday night. Belt entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth.
UP NEXT
Colorado RHP German Marquez (1-1, 3.00 ERA) pitches the series finale Sunday looking for his first win in six career starts against San Francisco. LHP Derek Holland (1-1, 3.38) pitches for the Giants.
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