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Giants-Rockies Preview

Aug 24, 2009 - 1:12 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

San Francisco (67-56) at Colorado (69-54), 8:40 p.m. EDT

On one swing, the Colorado Rockies went from nearly having their wild-card lead cut to one game to holding a three-game edge over the San Francisco Giants.

The Rockies will try to pad their advantage Monday night by closing out the Giants in the finale of a four-game series at Coors Field.

Colorado (70-57) didn't get its first hit until the sixth inning of Sunday's 4-2 victory, but Seth Smith completed the Rockies' comeback from a two-run deficit in the seventh with his two-run homer off San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum. That win came less than 24 hours after the Rockies rallied for a 14-11 victory.

"When I hit it, I knew I got it," Smith said.

While trying to add to its lead in Monday's game, Colorado will also look to help right-hander Jason Marquis become the NL's first 15-game winner.

Marquis (14-8, 3.58 ERA) will also attempt to win three consecutive starts for the second time this season. He's posted a 2.77 ERA in his last two victories and allowed three runs over six innings in a 5-4 win at Washington on Wednesday night.

Marquis has split two starts this season against the Giants (67-57). He earned a complete-game victory May 2 in San Francisco, but was tagged for seven runs in six innings five days later at home.

Marquis has a 2.30 ERA in eight career starts against the Giants.

San Francisco will counter with Barry Zito (8-11, 4.26), who continues to receive little support from his teammates. Zito allowed two hits over six innings and took a no-hitter into the fifth Wednesday at Cincinnati, but did not get a decision in the Giants' 1-0 win.

"It's not about individual achievement anymore," he told the Giants' official Web site. "We're in a race. It's about the team getting a win every day, no matter how it happens."

It was the ninth start this season he has gotten no runs of support and second in a row for the left-hander, who has received a league-low 2.9 runs per outing.

He also allowed two hits over seven innings May 3 against Colorado but did not get the decision in a 1-0 win in 10 innings. Zito, however, earned a win in his previous start at Coors Field on Sept. 3 and is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four career games there.

Despite their struggles in helping Zito, the Giants have 10 or more hits in seven of their last nine contests and scored 17 runs in the first two games of the series.

Pablo Sandoval has batted .373 in his last 18 games, moving him up to second in the NL with a .332 average - 29 points behind Florida's Hanley Ramirez.

Colorado's Dexter Fowler has hit .400 in 17 games this month, but fellow rookie outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is expected to be out of the lineup for a second straight game after suffering a puncture wound to his left hand following Saturday's win.

Gonzalez said he suffered his injury at home when he caught a steak knife as it fell off a plate. The outfielder, who has hit .391 over the last 20 games, could be used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement Monday, manager Jim Tracy said.

Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez is expected to miss his seventh straight game with a sore left shoulder.