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Giants-Rockies Preview

Sep 25, 2010 - 5:16 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (86-67) at Colorado (82-70), 8:10 p.m. EDT

While the San Francisco Giants try to maintain their lead in the NL West, the Colorado Rockies' postseason hopes appear to be slipping away.

The Giants look to hand the Rockies a sixth consecutive loss Saturday night at Coors Field.

Pat Burrell's two-run homer helped lift San Francisco (82-71) to a 2-1 win Friday, and keep its slim lead over San Diego in the West. The Giants have won four of five.

The Rockies (82-71), meanwhile, are 4 1/2 games behind the Giants with nine to play. Colorado, which had won 13 of 15 prior to its current skid, is third in the wild card standings.

"The chances aren't great, but you never know what could happen," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "There's still a chance."

Burrell, who had one of San Francisco's three hits, has homered in two of his last three games at Coors Field, where the Giants have won three of five.

San Francisco's Cody Ross went 1 for 3, and is batting .346 during a seven-game hitting streak.

After Tim Lincecum threw eight stellar innings, scheduled starter Barry Zito (9-13, 3.98 ERA) looks to build on his first win since July 16. Zito was 0-9 with a 5.00 ERA in 12 outings before allowing two runs and three hits in six innings of a 9-2 win over Milwaukee on Sunday.

"The last couple of starts the team lost but personally I felt better than I have previously," said Zito, who has a 2.04 ERA in his last three starts. "I was building off those."

Though Zito is 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 14 starts against the Rockies, and 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA in six at Coors Field, he was roughed up in his last start there. The left-hander allowed six runs in 5 1-3 innings but did not factor in the decision of an 11-8 win on July 3.

San Francisco's pitchers, however, have gone 18 straight games giving up three or fewer runs.

Tulowitzki is 5 for 36 with a homer off Zito, and 2 for 19 in his last five games after going hitless in three trips to the plate. However, he's still hitting .315 with 14 homers and 35 RBIs in September.

Eric Young's run-scoring single in the sixth inning was one of two hits Friday for the Rockies, who are mired in their longest skid since dropping eight straight from July 21-28.

Colorado's scheduled starter Jason Hammel (10-8, 4.56) is 0-2 in six starts versus San Francisco, but has a 2.95 ERA. The right-hander has allowed three runs and struck out 13 over 13 2-3 innings in two starts against the Giants this season.

Hammel, however, has not lasted past the fourth inning, and has given up four runs in each of his last two starts while dealing with a sinus infection and arm fatigue. The latest poor effort came in a 7-6, 11-inning loss at Los Angeles on Sunday.

"I feel like I'm putting in so much extra effort with my body to get my shoulder going," he told the Rockies' official website. "It just doesn't feel right right now."

Jose Guillen, who had a hit Friday for the Giants, is 3 for 5 with two homers against Hammel.