Blackmon’s homer lifts Rockies in game that requires 25 pitchers

SAN FRANCISCO» The Rockies contributed their share to a major-league record Tuesday night — and into Wednesday morning.

Colorado finally finished off the Giants 8-5 when Charlie Blackmon hit a three-run homer in the 16th inning in a game that saw a record 25 pitchers used — 12 by the Rockies, 13 by San Francisco.

The game lasted 5 hours, 31 minutes, with Giants manager Bruce Bochy making 12 pitching changes — hardly taking it easy in his final week on the job.

Blackmon’s first hit of the night came in his eighth plate appearance, off Dereck Rodriguez (6-10), for his 31st home run.

Both clubs left the bases loaded in the 11th inning, and Colorado stranded 15 baserunners.

This wasn’t even the longest game between the clubs this season. The Giants beat the Rockies 3-2 in 18 innings in a game that lasted 5 hours, 35 minutes on April 12 — the longest game at Oracle Park since an 18-inning loss to Arizona on May 29, 2001. Colorado also played two games of 16 innings or more in 2006.

Sam Howard (2-0) pitched the final two innings for the win.

The Giants’ Evan Longoria hit a tying homer in the eighth off Carlos Estevez.

Garrett Hampson hit his second homer of the game to put Colorado ahead in the eighth inning after losing starter Jeff Hoffman to a knee injury from a line drive, but the Giants kept pushing. The Rockies got great news that it was only a bone bruise for Hoffman, who had crutches. X-rays were negative.

Trevor Story connected for his 34th homer after a pair of strikeouts to begin his night against Madison Bumgarner, who was still scheduled to pitch Sunday’s season finale against the NL West champion Dodgers, though Bochy hinted beforehand there still could be a change if necessary.

Hoffman took a line drive off his right knee in the fourth inning and was carted off the field. Alex Dickerson’s sharp single hit squarely on Hoffman’s knee and the pitcher went down writhing in pain, and the ball ricocheted toward San Francisco’s dugout. He was down a little more than five minutes as athletic trainers from both teams tended to him on the mound.

“We’ll see how we can deal with the pain and hopefully get ready for the next start,” Hoffman said. “Between my kneecap and the right side of my knee — pretty much missed all the bones.”

Ian Desmond hit a two-run homer in the fourth after Bumgarner hit Blackmon on the left hand area with a pitch to start the inning.

Story homered against the Giants for a franchise-record sixth straight game and became the first Colorado player to do so against any opponent over six matchups in a row. Mike Schmidt (1979) and Rogers Hornsby (1922) each homered in five consecutive games vs. the Giants. The Rockies’ Andres Galarraga homered in five straight vs. St. Louis in 1996.