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Spilborghs plates winning run as Rockies edge Giants

Sep 3, 2008 - 6:16 AM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Ryan Spilborghs steps into the batter's box with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" blaring over the loudspeakers at Coors Field. It was a fitting tune Tuesday night.

Two days removed from an extended stay on the disabled list, Spilborghs laced a game-winning single down the right-field line off Brian Wilson to propel the Colorado Rockies to a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants in 12 innings.

"Wilson is one of the top closers in our league. I've faced him before and I know he has that hard, running cutter, so that's what I was looking for the entire at-bat," said Spilborghs, whose lone at-bat came in the pivotal 12th inning. "I'm confident in those situations. It's one of those situations where you can't fail. If you get a hit, you're a hero. If you don't, you go out there and keep grinding."

The win moved Colorado (67-74) to within five games of the National League West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks (70-67) with 22 games remaining.

Omar Quintanilla sparked the 12th-inning rally with a one-out single before Keiichi Yabu walked Matt Holliday. Wilson came onto face Spilborghs and worked the count to 1-2 before the game-winning hit.

"It couldn't have been anybody for me from the ninth inning on. It didn't have to be (Spilborghs), and we didn't have to wait until the 12th," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "You get one at-bat and you're facing one of the best closers in the league and down two strikes in the count. ? He's had a flair for the dramatic."

Jason Grilli (3-1) picked up the win while Yabu (3-6) took the loss.

"It was definitely a big win for us," Grilli said. "It's even a bigger win when the Diamondbacks, who we're chasing, lose. It's more fun to chase than to be chased."

Giants ace Tim Lincecum did not give up a hit through three innings before getting blown up in the fourth. The NL Cy Young Award candidate struck out six by mixing a wicked fastball with looping curves and a recently-added changeup, but left with a pitch count nearing 100 after five innings.

Holliday, Brad Hawpe and Chris Iannetta each drove in a run in the fourth before Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer to give Colorado a 5-0 lead.

"A lead is never safe at this park," Tulowitzki said.

Rockies starter Livan Hernandez, a late-season pickup, also started hot by working through the first four innings with ease.

But the Giants dug into Hernandez in the fifth, with Omar Vizquel delivering a two-run double to cut into Colorado's lead.

San Francisco surged again in the sixth, chasing Hernandez and loading the bases before Emmanuel Burriss laced a two-run single through the right side of the infield to make it a 5-4 game. Vizquel tied the game with a base hit that plated Pablo Sandoval.

"We hit a few balls hard right at them," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We couldn't find the hole and they did."

For the Giants, Vizquel collected three hits and three RBI and Randy Winn finished with three hits, all singles.