Rodón strikes out 12 for Giants’ third straight win

SAN FRANCISCO — Manager Gabe Kapler had a decision to make. His starter was at 96 pitches, ran into trouble the inning prior, and was due to face the middle of the Rockies order for a third time.

Kapler sent Carlos Rodón out for the top of the sixth, and Rodón responded with his 11th and 12th strikeouts of the game as part of a 1-2-3 final frame. He allowed two runs in the fifth and needed 30 pitches to complete the first inning, but Rodón’s outing will be remembered for his 12 strikeouts and 110 pitches.

The six-inning, two-run performance was more than enough to beat the Rockies, 8-5, behind multi-hit games by the one-two punch of Mauricio Dubón (3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBIs) and Austin Slater (2-for-4, 2 R, BB), as well as Darin Ruf (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBIs).

The win was the Giants’ third in a row, allowing them to separate themselves from the Rockies and pick up a game on each team ahead of them in the NL West, with the Dodgers and Padres each losing.

Another decision Kapler made — this one before first pitch — made the manager look good.

He chose to ride the hot bat of Dubón and inserted him into the two-hole, behind leadoff man Austin Slater, for only the third time this season.

Dubón homered off Rockies starter Austin Gomber — his second in three games — and drove in the Giants’ first three runs, before singling to lead off the sixth, kicking off a three-run rally that proved important. His 3-for-4 effort was also his second multihit game in the past three days, extending his hitting streak to three games.

Darin Ruf drove home Dubón with his first of two hits Monday, extending his hitting streak to six games and giving him his second straight multi-hit game. Ruf is 8-for19 over his hitting streak with four walks, including another Monday night, raising his OPS by 100 points, to .589.

Wilmer Flores singled and came around to score the Giants’ second run of the inning on a wild pitch when catcher Elias Diaz tried to prevent Flores from advancing from second to third but airmailed the throw into left field. With the bases loaded and one out, the Giants pinch-hit Joc Pederson for Joey Bart, but Pederson flew out to center, allowing Ruf to tag and score from third base.

Slater reached base each of his first two times to the plate, including a triple off the center field wall to lead off the bottom of the first, and was driven in by Dubón each time.