Nolan Arenado had three hits including a double and Carlos Gonzalez and DJ LeMahieu came up with key late knocks in the Colorado Rockies’ 9-6 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
Arenado picked up his 40th double of the season in the sixth inning to plate the first of four Rockies runs that turned a one-run lead into a five-run advantage. But the Giants didn’t allow that to last for long. Buster Posey hit a two-run double in the seventh and the Giants picked up three more in the eighth to get back to within a run.
Fortunately for the Rockies, Jonathan Lucroy led off the bottom of the eighth against Mark Melancon with a single and was replaced by pinch runner Mike Tauchman, who scored on an opposite-field, line-drive double off the bat of Gonzalez to give Colorado some breathing room. LeMahieu followed with an RBI double of his own to put the Rockies back up by three and give plenty of cushion for Greg Holland, who set the Giants down in order in the ninth.
Tyler Chatwood made a spot start for the Rockies and kept the Giants scoreless despite allowing four hits and three walks in three innings. Chris Rusin struck out four batters in 1-2⁄3 innings.
Antonio Senzatela and Jake McGee allowed the entirety of the damage late in the game. Adam Ottavino, who came on in relief of McGee in the eighth, notched an inning-ending strikeout of Posey with a runner on and three in.
LeMahieu, Lucroy, and Mark Reynolds finished with two hits apiece and Trevor Story homered for the Rockies, who extended their lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card standings to 2-1⁄2 games. Colorado, which has been plagued by poor hitting with runners in scoring position of late, went 5-for-12 in those situations on Tuesday.
The Rockies are now 9-0 against the Giants at Coors Field this season, setting a new franchise mark for the most wins at home against a single opponent in any season.