Giants 4 - 5 Rockies
Final
  for this game

Giants try to extend NL West lead in Colorado

May 20, 2014 - 2:47 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - A pair of National League West rivals tangle Tuesday at Coors Field, as the division-leading San Francisco Giants commence a three- game series with the Colorado Rockies.

The Giants are three games ahead of the Rockies in the NL West and went 4-3 on a recent homestand versus Atlanta and Miami. The Giants earned a split of a four-game series with the Marlins thanks to Sunday's 4-1 victory behind seven shutout innings by Ryan Vogelsong.

Vogelsong struck out six batters and walked one.

"He's been throwing the ball well," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said about Vogelsong. "His last start he should have fared better and he carried that stuff into today's game. The key from him is he threw early strikes and quality strikes."

Sergio Romo came on in the ninth to post his 15th save.

Pablo Sandoval hit a solo home run, while Buster Posey, Tyler Colvin and Brandon Hicks each drove in a run in the win.

Taking the ball for the Giants Tuesday will be Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner is 3-1 in five road starts this season and 5-3 overall in nine outings with a 3.25 earned run average. He has won three straight starts, including last Wednesday's 10-4 win over Atlanta.

Bumgarner benefited from the run support versus the Braves and was touched for four runs in five innings. The left-hander will face the Rockies for a third time this season and is 8-6 with a 3.19 ERA in 17 career starts against them.

Colorado had lost three in a row and five of six games before winning two of three matchups with the San Diego Padres this past weekend.

In Sunday's 8-6 win in 10 innings, Justin Morneau cracked a game-winning two- run homer with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning.

"Justin came up big in the end there," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Morneau. "I'm really happy for him. He's having a phenomenal season."

The Rockies had a 6-4 lead in the ninth before LaTroy Hawkins blew his first save of the season, serving up a two-run shot by Everth Cabrera. Nick Masset pitched a perfect top half of the 10th for Colorado to earn the win and starting pitcher Juan Nicasio gave up four runs in six innings.

Corey Dickerson and Troy Tulowitzki also homered for the Rockies, and DJ LeMahieu finished 3-for-4 with a run scored. The Rockies also turned a triple play in the third inning.

Colorado outfielder/first baseman Michael Cuddyer is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday and has been out since mid-April because of a hamstring issue. Cuddyer last played on April 17 and is batting .317 with three homers and 10 RBI this season. The Rockies were 15-10 without him.

The Rockies will send Franklin Morales to the mound Tuesday and he is 3-3 with a 5.40 ERA in nine games (8 starts) this season. Morales has lost his last two outings and is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA in 18 games (4 starts) lifetime against San Francisco. The lefty will face the Giants for a third time this season.

Colorado and San Francisco have split six meetings this season.






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