Bad stuff happens to the Rockies in San Francisco.
Case in point: In the sixth inning of Sunday afternoon’s game at Oracle Park, Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon tagged Derek Hill for what should have been the third out. Instead, the impact of the tag dislodged the ball from McMahon’s glove.
McMahon’s error loaded the bases, and Matt Chapman delivered a two-run single on Noah Davis’s next pitch to put San Francisco ahead, 5-2.
The Giants won the game, 5-4, swept the four-game series and beat the Rockies for the 12th consecutive time at Oracle Park. That ties the franchise record for the most consecutive losses at a visiting ballpark. Colorado also lost 12 straight at Dodger Stadium (July 1, 2018 to Sept. 20, 2019) and Busch Stadium III (Aug. 1, 2018 to Aug. 18, 2022).
Also, hot-hitting Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle, who has a chance to be the National League player of the month, left the game in the third inning. After the game, manager Bud Black said that Doyle injured the tip of a finger in a “freak accident” and said he took Doyle out of the game as a precaution.
During the course of the four-game series, the Rockies struck out 53 times, including 11 times on Sunday.
At least the Rockies didn’t go down as meekly as they did in the series’ first three games. Michael Toglia hit a solo homer off Jordan Hicks in the seventh. Toglia’s team-leading 18th homer cut the lead to 5-3.
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Colorado loaded the bases in the eighth but got nothing out of it. Ezequiel Tovar, who hit 3 for 5 and extended his hitting streak to 15 games, laced a one-out double. Then Hunter Goodman reached on an infield single and Ryan McMahon drew a two-out walk. But Brendan Rodgers grounded out to Chapman at third to kill the rally.
The Rockies scored one run in the ninth but ultimately came up short. Singles by Toglia and Jake Cave set the table for Jacob Stallings’ RBI groundout, but Giants closer Camilo Doval struck out Sam Hilliard and got Tovar to ground out to short to end the game.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber lasted just 3 2/3 innings and needed 85 pitches to get there. He gave up three runs on six hits, including a one-out homer to Casey Schmitt in the first.
Gomber had a rough second inning. With two outs, the Giants scored two runs on three consecutive extra-base hits: a double by Michael Conforto, an RBI triple by Derek Hill and an RBI double by Jorge Soler.
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