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Giants-Rockies Preview

Sep 26, 2010 - 5:52 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

San Francisco (87-67) at Colorado (82-71), 3:10 p.m. EDT

The San Francisco Giants have struggled to take command of the NL West. Now, the Colorado Rockies are becoming a factor again.

Matt Cain, however, could tilt the playoff chase in the Giants' favor.

The right-hander looks to extend the longest shutout streak of his career when the Giants face the Rockies in the conclusion of a key three-game series Sunday afternoon.

San Francisco (87-68) and San Diego are battling for the West title heading into the final week of the season. The clubs have alternated as the division leader five times over the last nine days with the lead never reaching more than one-half game.

The Giants are now the team in second, one-half game behind the Padres with the clubs slated to end the regular season with three games in San Francisco next weekend.

Colorado (83-71), however, is also mounting a challenge in the West, sitting 3 1/2 games back of the Giants, who are also tied with Atlanta atop the wild-card race.

San Francisco would like to push the Rockies further back in the race after losing 10-9 in 10 innings Saturday. The loss dropped the Giants out of the division lead while Colorado ended its five-game skid.

"We're not done," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "Until they put an X next to our team in the division and wild card, we're not done."

Cain (12-10, 3.00 ERA) could provide the difference for the Giants on Sunday. He's tossed 18 consecutive shutout innings over his last three starts, winning two. Those outings are part of a six-game stretch that has seen him go 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA.

Cain was outstanding again Tuesday, allowing two hits in six innings while not getting a decision in a 1-0 win at Wrigley Field.

He's 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts at Coors Field, but will have to deal with a red-hot Troy Tulowitzki.

The shortstop had four hits and five RBIs Saturday, including a two-run homer and a walkoff double to clinch the win. He's hitting .340 with 15 homers while setting a franchise record with 40 RBIs in a month.

"If I had to pick a month to get 40 RBIs this is the month," Tulowitzki said. "That makes it more special, when you're coming down the stretch and producing for the team."

He's 14 for 42 with three homers against Cain.

If the Rockies are going to continue their playoff push, they could use Jorge De La Rosa (8-5, 4.22) to maintain his dominance of the Giants.

He's 6-0 with a 2.01 ERA in eight starts against San Francisco, including wins in each of the last three at home.

The left-hander didn't get a decision in his latest outing versus the Giants on Aug. 30, but Colorado scored twice in the ninth for a 2-1 win. De La Rosa allowed one run with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

He didn't get much offensive help Tuesday, yielding three runs in seven innings of a 3-1 loss at Arizona. The defeat ended his personal four-game winning streak, during which he compiled a 3.24 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 33 1-3 innings over five starts - all Rockies wins.