Giants pitchers take beating at home against Rockies
Cain struggles, and Giants allow 13 runs in brutal fifth inning
SAN FRANCISCO — After giving up 12 runs in an inning to start their last trip, it’s hard to believe the Giants could do any worse Thursday night when returning to the friendly confines of their park.
Yet the Colorado Rockies did the Mets one better, scoring 13 times in the fifth inning of a 17-7 win over the Giants before a crowd of 41,477.
Probably the most depressing development of the night for the Giants was another rough start for Matt Cain, who was chased in the disastrous fifth and fell to 0-3. Cain gave up 10 hits and eight runs, six of them earned.
“It’s hard to believe lightning hit us twice in a week,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s almost the exact same thing. Our guys battled at the plate, we just didn’t get the pitching we need.”
Bochy emphasized beforehand he was sticking with Cain, but it’s getting to be a more difficult position to defend given that the right-hander has not won in his past 13 starts. With starter Jake Peavy also struggling, Bochy indicated changes to the rotation might be discussed.
“That’s something we’ll have to talk about but we’re staying behind these guys,” Bochy said. “They have the capability of getting better, and Matty would tell you the same thing, just like Jake would.”
Cain threw 61 strikes in 79 pitches against Colorado but left too many pitches up in the zone.
Nolan Arenado, the ma- jor league leader in home runs, hit a two-run shot (his 12th) on a grooved 20 pitch in the first inning against Cain, who trailed 3-0 before the Giants got to the plate.
“It was a changeup that was supposed to be outside,” said Cain. “It leaked back over the plate.”
Shortstop Trevor Story also homered against Cain to lead off the fifth, his 11th.
Cain thinks his struggles are mostly mental.
“It’s just a matter of me trusting my stuff,” he said. “It’s there in the bullpen. I have to take it out to the mound. It’s definitely not easy. It’s on my mind a lot, but I’m dealing with it the best I can. I think I’m doing alright with it.”
The Giants fell to 1515 in the National League West, while the Rockies improved to 14-14, the same record as the idle Dodgers. The struggles of Cain and Peavy at the end of the rotation are a big reason the Giants are a .500 team, as Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzjia are a combined 11-4.
Colorado’s 13-run in field inning included 10 hits and a pair of infield errors by shortstop Brandon Crawford and second baseman Kelby Tomlinson.
It was the biggest inning against the Giants since the Montreal Expos had 13 in an inning in 1997.
Story opened the fifth with a line drive solo homer against Cain, with Carlos Gonzalez following with a double. After Arenado reached on an error, Gerardo Parra singled in a run, with Vin Mazzaro coming in for Cain.
An error by Tomlinson at second base on a routine ground ball kicked the Rockies’ conga line into full gear.
Catcher Tony Wolters doubled home two runs to make it 8-3. D.J. LeMahieu singled in a run for 9-3. Charlie Blackmon doubled and it was 10-3.
Story, in his second atbat in the inning, singled for 11-3. Mazzaro hit Arenado with the bases loaded and the Rockies led 12-3.
Parra’s two-run single put the Rockies up 14-3, Reynolds doubled in a run for 15-3, and starting pitcher Chris Rusin added insult to indignity with a two-run single against reliever Derek Law for a 17-3 Rockies lead.
Mazzaro gave up six hits and nine runs, seven earned, in one-third of an inning.
It turned out Rusin couldn’t even stay in the game and take advantage of all those Colorado runs. The Giants chased him from the game before he could get a full five innings, scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth inning to get within 17-7.
The inning included runscoring singles by Gregor Blanco, Mac Williamson and Brandon Crawford.
Christian Bergman, who came on for Rusin with two out in the fifth, was the winning pitcher for the Rock- ies.
Span’s second double in the first two innings drove in Gregor Blanco, who reached on a one-out infield single and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cain to bring the Giants within 4-3.
The Rockies took a 4-2 lead in the top of the second when Story singled solidly to center to score D.J. LeMahieu, who opened with a one-out double.
Trailing 3-0 in their first at-bat, Span doubled down the right field line in his first at-bat, with Matt Duffy hitting a singe to put runners at first and third. Posey then doubled into the left field corner to drive in both runners.
Right fielder Hunter Pence sat out the game with tightness in his back and is expected back in the lineup Friday.
Second baseman Joe Panik ran the bases before the game to test a groin strain and Bochy said he could be back in the lineup Friday after missing give games.
Relief pitcher George Kontos will throw a live batting practice Friday, then in a rehab assignment for Triple A Sacramento Sunday.
If all goes well, Bochy said he would likely get a second rehab assignment before being activated from the disabled list.