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Chacin leads Rockies in 6-3 win over Giants

Jul 3, 2010 - 4:17 AM DENVER(AP) -- Troy Tulowitzki's absence was supposed to spell trouble for the Colorado Rockies' offense.

So far, the Rockies have thrived without their star shortstop.

Dexter Fowler had his second straight three-hit game, Clint Barmes homered and Colorado beat the reeling San Francisco Giants 6-3 on Friday night.

Jonathan Herrera had three RBIs to back Jhoulys Chacin's six solid innings for Colorado. Huston Street worked a perfect ninth for his second save in two chances.

Tulowitzki has a broken wrist and is expected to be out until the end of July. His injury was considered a big blow for a team with World Series hopes. But after Friday's win the Rockies are 9-5 without him.

"He's a huge part of our lineup and we're missing having his bat in the lineup and his defense," said Barmes, who has moved over to shortstop in Tulowitzki's absences. "But with guys stepping up and doing their job it's been fun to play."

It helps to play a struggling Giants team, whose only offense came on Aubrey Huff's two home runs. San Francisco has lost seven straight and nine of 10. It's the club's longest losing streak since dropping eight straight June 13-22, 2007.

"We want to get out of it," starter Tim Lincecum said. "We have to cut that tension we have in the clubhouse right now and relax. There is a lot of pressing stuff."

The Giants were in the game until the Rockies used a sixth-inning rally to beat Lincecum (8-4), the two-time Cy Young winner. Ian Stewart led off with a double, went to third on Barmes' fly out to right and scored on Herrera's sacrifice fly to left that made it 4-3.

The Rockies added two more in the eighth. Stewart walked, Barmes singled and Fowler doubled to left-center to drive in Stewart. Herrera followed with a successful squeeze bunt that scored Barmes to make it 6-3.

"We manufactured those runs," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said. "That's a serious pin in the balloon if you're the team trailing. Now we're bringing in our closer with a three-run cushion."

The Giants took an early lead when Andres Torres led off the game with a double to right. One out later Huff homered into the Rockies' bullpen.

Chacin (5-7) settled down after the rough first inning. After going away from his fastball early in the count, he retired 15 of the next 17 batters before running into trouble in the sixth. With two outs Huff hit a solo home run, his 14th of the year, to tie it. Pat Burrell and Pablo Sandoval followed with walks before Chacin retired Juan Uribe on a line drive to deep center to end the threat.

"They were firing at the first-pitch fastball and he started going to his secondary pitches and using his fastball later in counts," Tracy said of Chacin. "What a wonderful adjustment."

Chacin allowed three runs, walked two and struck out five in outdueling Lincecum. The Giants ace gave up four runs, walked four and struck out four in six innings while falling to 0-2 against Colorado this year.

"Timmy pitched good enough to win," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We have to get over this one, two or three runs. We have to break out offensively."

The Rockies tied the game in the second. Miguel Olivo led off with a double to left and Barmes hit the first pitch he saw from Lincecum into the left-field bleachers to tie it 2-all. It was Barmes' seventh homer of the season.

"The slider hung up to Barmes," Lincecum said. "It was supposed to be down and away."

The Rockies took a 3-2 lead in the fifth when Fowler led off with a triple and scored on Herrera's single to second.

Fowler was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday and has gone 6 for 8 with three runs scored in his last two games.

"The more at-bats you get the more stuff you learn," he said. "It keeps the confidence level up."

NOTES: It was Huff's second two-homer game this year and 11th of his career. The last time he did it was June 13 against Oakland. ... Rockies 1B Todd Helton (stiff back) and OF Brad Hawpe (bruised ribs) were scratched from the starting lineup. Hawpe pinch hit in the sixth inning and drew a walk. ... Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (torn finger tendon) will make a minor league rehab start Saturday and throw about 100 pitches. De La Rosa, out since April 26, could be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list next week.