Giants Stick to Goal in Denver: Winning

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said the task at
 hand is straightforward for the Giants in the waning days of the
 regular season.
        ``We just got to go out there and try to win ballgames,'' Bochy
 said. ``It's pretty simple at this point. And obviously, we need
 some help.''
        The Giants suceeded on both counts Saturday night. They scored
 four runs in the eighth and then held on to beat the Colorado
 Rockies 6-5 and extend their winning streak to seven games.
        The Giants moved five games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in
 the National League West with 10 games to play after Arizona lost
 at San Diego. San Francisco has made up 4{ games on Arizona in a
 week.
        The Giants are also five games behind the Atlanta Braves in the
 wild-card race where they are third and trail the St. Louis
 Cardinals by a half game.
        San Francisco scored once in the sixth to go ahead 2-1 only to
 have the Rockies take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. That
 was the Giants' plight in the eighth, when Huston Street came on
 for the Rockies and Andres Torres led off with a single.
        ``We feel we've got a shot,'' Torres said. ``I got a base hit
 and everything started. We just got to play hard and win some
 games.''
        Street (1-4), pitching in a set-up role after Rafael Betancourt
 took over as the closer in mid-August while he was on the disabled
 list, then fielded Jeff Keppinger's bunt, but threw the ball wide
 of shortstop Hector Gomez, allowing Torres to take third.
        ``That's a good throw, it's probably close to being a double
 play ball,'' Bochy said. ``But we caught a break there.''
        Carlos Beltran followed with a run-scoring double that sent
 Keppinger to third. Street then struck out Mark DeRosa.
        But Brett Pill, who tripled home the Giants' first run in the
 sixth off Matt Belisle, tripled again and two runs scored.
        ``I don't think I've ever had two triples in my life (in a
 game),'' Pill said. ``It was hard to breathe when I got to third.''
        Pill said he benefited from watching Street throw sliders
 exclusively to DeRosa. Pill fought back from a 1-2 count and drove
 a 2-2 slider to the gap in left-center.
        ``He kind of left one over the plate with two strikes, and I
 just barreled it,'' said Pill, a 27-year-old rookie who is 7-for-21
 with one double, two triples, two homers and six RBI in his first
 six games in the majors.
        ``I think the problem area for Huston tonight simply boils down
 to the inability to make a two-strike pitch,'' Rockies manager Jim
 Tracy said. ``He had Torres right where he wanted him at two
 strikes, but he left a changeup enough to where he could serve it
 into left field. We had an out at second base on the hard bunt by
 Keppinger. He was going to be out with a good throw...He had two
 strikes on Pill and left a slider up in the zone. We were in the
 position we were in to wiggle ourselves of the inning. We weren't
 able to get out of it.''
        Matt Lindstrom relieved Street and got pinch hitter Aubrey Huff
 to ground to first baseman Jordan Pacheco. He was slow throwing the
 ball home, and Pill scored to make it 6-3.
        Santiago Casilla, filling in for injured closer Brian Wilson,
 earned his fifth save but not without a few anxious moments. He
 gave up a one-out single to pinch hitter Seth Smith and walked Ty
 Wigginton. Mark Ellis doubled to score Smith, and Wigginton scored
 when Wilin Rosario grounded out.
        Gomez had gone 2 for 3 in his first major league start, one
 night after his major league debut, but Casilla struck him out to
 end the game.
        Waldis Joaquin (1-0) retired the two batters he faced in the
 eighth to earn the victory.
        Notes: Giants outfielder Cody Ross, who came out of Friday's
 game in the sixth, underwent an MRI that confirmed a strained right
 hamstring. He's expected to miss about a week. ... Rockies manager
 Jim Tracy said center fielder Dexter Fowler would not be in the
 lineup Sunday. He has started every game since Aug. 15. ... Rockies
 shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (left hip), first baseman Todd Helton
 (back) and right fielder Carlos Gonzalez (right wrist) didn't play.
 Tulowitzki has missed four straight games and six of the past
 eight. Helton has missed four straight games and 10 of the past 12
 games, and Gonzalez missed his second straight game. ... Brian
 Wilson (right elbow inflammation), who has been on the disabled
 list retroactive to Aug. 16, played catch Saturday, and Bochy said,
 ``There's a good chance if he comes in tomorrow and feels fine that
 we will activate him.'' ... Giants pitcher Jonathan Sanchez (left
 ankle sprain) could throw off a mound Monday or Tuesday, Bochy
 said, and might pitch ``an inning or so'' before the season ends.
 ... Esmil Rogers, who is 6-5 with a 5.88 ERA overall but 1-2 with a
 9.86 ERA at Coors Field, will start for the Rockies. Matt Cain, who
 is 11-10 with a 2.79 ERA will make his 26th career start against
 the Rockies and fourth this season. He's 12-7 with a 3.16 ERA
 against the Rockies.
 

Contact Us