Ottavino walks in winner
GIANTS 3, ROX 2
SAN FRANCISCO» Say it ain’t so, Adam Ottavino.
In the series opener against the Giants on Tuesday night, it was Colorado’s most dominant pitcher’s turn to let the game slip away for the worst bullpen in the major leagues.
San Francisco nicked Ottavino for an inherited run in the seventh inning, and then the winning run in the eighth, to end his scoreless streak at 15 innings and give the Giants a 3-2 win at AT&T Park.
In the trouble-filled eighth, the
normally dominant right-hander gave up a one-out single to Brandon Crawford, who would eventually walk home for the deciding run following three free passes, only one of them intentional.
The Rockies got on the board first as Ian Desmond continued his recent offensive surge with a solo homer in the second. But San Francisco whacked one right back the next inning when Gorkys Hernandez blasted a 415-foot shot to center field off Chad Bettis, evening the game 1-1.
Despite those homers, Bettis and Giants starter Derek Holland both put together effective outings while working around traffic in a pitcher’s duel.
Colorado squandered opportunities in the fifth and sixth innings, frames in which the Rockies put a pair of baserunners aboard with one out only to leave them stranded both times. DJ LeMahieu flied out to end the fifth, while Carlos Gonzalez hit a sharp grounder up the middle -and right into the shift -- to end the sixth and keep the score at 1-1.
San Francisco took its first lead in the seventh. Austin Slater got the Giants going with a blistering single to lead off the frame, and then pinch-hitter Hunter Pence got jammed and chopped a high, slow roller down the third-base line. Nolan Arenado normally makes those plays in his sleep but had no choice but to try to let the swinging bunt roll foul; instead, the ball hit the bag, fair, and jumpstarted the Giants’ rally.
A sacrifice bunt and a walk then loaded the bases and chased Bettis. Ottavino produced two quick outs in relief, but not before Andrew McCutchen elevated a fullcount slider just enough -- and left fielder Gerardo Parra’s one-hop throw to catcher Tom Murphy from left was on target but just a smidgen late — to score Slater on the sacrifice fly and give the Giants a 2-1 advantage.
Colorado responded in the eighth, with Desmond once again providing a spark via a two-out double to score Trevor Story and even the game at 2-2, before the Giants retook the lead for good in the bottom of the frame.
Despite the no-decision, the outing was a step in the positive direction for Bettis, who had been tagged for at least five earned runs in each of his previous five starts coming in. He threw a season-high 109 pitches in his sixth quality start of the season and longest since May 5.
The Rockies (38-41) resume their six-game road trip against the Giants on Wednesday night.