A big fifth inning by the San Francisco Giants was the difference maker on Wednesday evening. The Rockies fall to 24-31 on the year, and the franchise will officially finish below .500 for the second consecutive season.
Despite multi-hit performances by three Rockies, the team went a combined 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. 20 hits were recorded between both teams; Colorado bats accounted for nine of them.
Castellani works into the fifth
Ryan Castellani kept the Giants off the scoreboard in his first three innings of work, allowing three hits and two walks. San Francisco got on the board when Evan Longoria led off the fourth, taking Castellani deep on a 404-foot shot to straightaway center.
The biggest damage of Castellani’s night was allowed in the fifth. San Francisco cashed in an Alex Dickerson leadoff double with a Brandon Crawford sacrifice fly; after two walks were additionally issued, Bud Black took the ball from Castellani after 96 pitches. Yency Almonte inherited a two-on, two-out situation.
Dubón’s blast
On the second pitch of Almonte’s outing, Mauricio Dubón hit a three-run blast to left field. Two of those runs were credited to Castellani, and both of them reached on walks.
Three Rockies have multi-hit performances
Charlie Blackmon led the way with two doubles, while Raimel Tapia hit a double and a single. Garrett Hampson hit two singles.
Trevor Story drove in Tapia with a base hit in the third. Colorado’s other RBI came from Tapia’s double, cashing in a run by Hampson in the fifth.
Doyle makes MLB debut
The Rockies trailed 5-2 in the eighth, and 2017 second-rounder Tommy Doyle made his first appearance in a big league uniform. The right-handed reliever quickly allowed a triple, double and two singles, and was tabbed for two earned runs in his only inning of work.
Colorado sent three relievers to the mound; they were credited with a combined three earned runs in 3 1⁄3 innings.
Estévez pitches a scoreless seventh
Going into Wednesday night, Carlos Estévez allowed a run in each of his previous three appearances. He answered back in the seventh with two punch outs and kept San Francisco off the scoreboard, working around a hit and a walk.
Up Next
The Rockies will finish their four-game set with the Giants on Thursday afternoon before heading south to Phoenix, Arizona to finish the 2020 regular season at Chase Field. Right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez will take the ball for Colorado — one start removed from a five-inning, three-earned-run outing against the Dodgers. San Francisco has yet to announce a starter for Thursday’s game, but manager Gabe Kapler could elect to use a short-appearance opener again like he did for Logan Webb on Wednesday.