• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Giants return home to battle Rockies

Aug 25, 2014 - 2:51 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Francisco Giants had a long flight home to lick their wounds and look to get back on track when they start a four-game series versus the Colorado Rockies Monday at AT&T Park.

The Giants lost two of three games against the Washington Nationals this weekend to close out a six-game road trip (3-3) after winning two of three meetings with the Chicago Cubs.

San Francisco blew a 5-0 lead in Sunday's lopsided 14-6 setback at Nationals Park, as Jeremy Affeldt came on for starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong and suffered the loss for allowing four runs and five hits. Vogelsong was touched for three runs in 5 1/3 innings, walked four batters and struck out three.

Juan Gutierrez did no better in relief, allowing five runs and four hits, including a pair of home runs.

"We turned it over the bullpen and they've done such a great job," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who is two wins shy of 1,600 in his career. "Give (Washington) credit, they threw out some good at-bats."

Gregor Blanco and Travis Ishikawa both homered, while Hunter Pence and Michael Morse each drove in a run for San Francisco, which is still 5-3 in the last eight games and is in the driver's seat for the second NL wild card spot. The Giants are 4 1/2 games behind Los Angeles for the NL West lead.

The Giants had won 24 of their last 25 games when scoring four or more runs and are 57-12 overall in such games this season. They are 49-15 when scoring the game's first run, and have won two in a row and three of four home games.

San Francisco will send Jake Peavy to the mound Monday in the first of seven straight games at home and the right-hander is 2-3 in five starts with a 3.58 earned run average since coming via trade with the Boston Red Sox. Peavy, who was ejected in Sunday's game from the dugout for insisting Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg wasn't pausing in a set position when he was throwing out of the stretch with men on base, has won back-to-back starts after losing three straight in his new digs.

Peavy allowed two runs and 10 hits in seven innings of an 8-3 win at the Cubs on Wednesday and tossed seven innings of one-run ball in a 7-1 win over the White Sox on Aug. 13. The veteran right-hander and 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner with San Diego has made 19 career starts against the Rockies, going 5-6 with a 4.10 ERA across 123.0 innings.

Colorado, meanwhile, will begin a seven-game road trip against the Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks Monday.

The Rockies won the last two installments of a three-game series versus the Miami Marlins and took Sunday's rubber match by a 7-4 score. Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer and Michael McKenry delivered a solo shot in the first inning to stake the Rockies to a 3-0 lead. Drew Stubbs stroked an RBI double in the sixth inning for a 5-2 Colorado lead.

Stubbs ended with three hits and DJ LeMahieu went 2-for-4 with two RBI, as the Rockies finished an 11-day, nine-game homestand with a 6-3 record. Arenado has five home runs and 12 RBI this month.

Rockies starting pitcher Christian Bergman picked up his first career win despite allowing four runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.

"He's got the ability to navigate a lineup, pitch around some trouble and pitch through traffic, and he did that today," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Bergman.

LaTroy Hawkins posted his 20th save in the ninth.

Tyler Matzek gets the call for the Rockies Monday and he is 2-9 with a 5.38 earned run average in 14 games (13 starts). The rookie left-hander has lost his last five trips to the mound and hasn't tasted victory since July 26 versus Pittsburgh. Matzek was reached for three runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 7-4 loss to Kansas City last Tuesday and has allowed three or more runs in each of his past four outings (19 runs total).

Matzek is winless (0-5) in eight games (7 starts) on the road and has never faced the Giants.

Colorado, which has lost three straight on the road and is an MLB-worst 18-44 as the guest, is 7-4 against San Francisco this season.