Giants, Bumgarner Outdueled By Rockies In 2-1 Loss
DENVER (CBS/AP) -- Nolan Arenado hit a go-ahead homer leading off the fifth and Franklin Morales outdueled Madison Bumgarner, lifting the Colorado Rockies to a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
Troy Tulowitzki also added a solo shot for the Rockies, who have hit seven homers in two nights against the Giants.
Morales (2-1) was masterful on the mound as he allowed five hits over seven innings, which matches the longest outing of his career. The left-hander's only mistake was a hanging slider to Hunter Pence in the fifth. It was Pence's second homer of the season.
LaTroy Hawkins got the final two outs in a rocky ninth for his sixth save in as many chances.
Bumgarner (2-2) was nearly as effective as Morales, his only slipups on fastballs to Tulowitzki and Arenado. Bumgarner allowed nine hits in eight innings.
It was the first complete game by a Giants starter in 2014 and third of Bumgarner's career.
Morales hasn't fared all that well against San Francisco in his career, entering the game with a 0-3 mark and a 6.57 ERA. But he handcuffed the Giants most of the game.
He worked his way into a jam in his seventh and final inning when he allowed a two-out double to his counterpart, Bumgarner.
But Morales struck out Angel Pagan with a sinking cutter—his 99th pitch of the night—to end the threat. Morales pumped his fist and let out a scream before heading toward the dugout.
The previous time Morales pitched seven innings was June 28, 2012, at Seattle when he was with Boston.
Things got a little shaky for Colorado in the eighth, when the Giants had runners on first and second with one out. Rex Brothers was summoned and enticed Pablo Sandoval to hit into a double play to quell the rally.
Same thing with the ninth, when Hawkins took over after Brothers got the first out of the inning. Hawkins walked pinch hitter Brandon Crawford and allowed a single to Gregor Blanco, who was also pinch hitting. Hector Sanchez, the third straight pinch hitter, struck out and Pagan bounced out to short to end the comeback bid.
Arenado hit a solo shot into the seats in left to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. He's hitting .365 during the streak, with two homers and six RBIs.
Tulowitzki flashed his fielding skills in the top of the fourth and hitting proficiency in the bottom half.
With runners at first and second and one out, the smooth-fielding shortstop dove in the hole to snare Joaquin Arias' grounder, quickly getting up and throwing to second for a force out. That prevented a potential run from scoring. Tulowitzki then caught Ehire Adrianza's shallow fly to left to get the Rockies out of the sticky situation.
Leading off in the bottom of the frame, Tulowitzki homered to left-center. It was his third homer of the season.
Mixing a 93-mph fastball with a late-moving cutter, Bumgarner kept the Rockies off balance most of the night. He's so difficult for lefties to solve that hot-hitting Charlie Blackmon was given the night off. Blackmon is hitting .411 this season with four homers and 13 RBIs.
NOTES: Ehire Adrianza wore jersey No. 6 instead of No. 53. ... The Giants placed LHP David Huff (left quadriceps strain) on the DL and recalled OF Juan Perez from Triple-A Fresno. ... RHP Matt Cain (0-3) searches for his first win of the season in the series finale Wednesday. The Rockies will throw RHP Tyler Chatwood (1-0). ... The Rockies have won five of their past six games.
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