Rockies Score 5 In Ninth To Edge Giants
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- D.J. LeMahieu hit a tiebreaking single in a five-run ninth inning, lifting the Colorado Rockies to a 7-4 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
The Rockies were listless at the plate for most of the night, trailed 4-2 and had gone five straight innings without a hit before rallying off Giants closer Sergio Romo, who went into the night tied for most saves in the majors.
Troy Tulowitzki opened the ninth with a single off Romo (3-2) but was replaced by pinch-runner Charlie Culberson after injuring his foot reaching first base. After Justin Morneau singled, Romo retired Wilin Rosario on a fly to center field. He then intentionally walked Corey Dickerson to load the bases.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Wheeler hit a two-run single before LeMahieu's soft single to center drove in Dickerson.
Michael McKenry added an RBI single off reliever George Kontos and LeMahieu scored while McKenry was caught in a rundown between first and second.
Matt Belisle (1-2) pitched one inning for the win while LaTroy Hawkins worked the ninth for his 12th save.
The Rockies had to overcome an injury-shortened night by starter Jorge De La Rosa. De La Rosa, who had lost his previous two starts, was forced out of the game after the third inning due to tightness in his lower back.
The Rockies bailed him out with their huge ninth, marking the eighth time this season Colorado has won in its final at-bat.
Up to that point, manager Walt Weiss's team hadn't done much.
Tim Lincecum, the two-time NL Cy Young winner, baffled the Rockies through the first six innings. He allowed three hits and two runs, retiring the final 10 batters he faced.
Three San Francisco relievers combined to shut out Colorado over the next two innings before Romo's collapse in the ninth.
Morneau finished with two hits, the only Rockies player with multiple hits.
De La Rosa struggled even before his back acted up.
He had to strike out Lincecum to escape a bases-loaded jam in the second, then gave up a leadoff double to Angel Pagan in the third. After Hunter Pence's RBI single, De La Rosa retired the next two batters but threw one pitch to Michael Morse before summoning team trainers and Weiss to the mound.
Umpires allowed De La Rosa to make a few warmup pitches before Morse hit a tying single.
Morse also doubled off reliever Tommy Kahnle in the fifth, and Pence doubled and scored on a wild pitch by Chris Martin in the seventh.
The two teams split their first eight games this season and were playing for the first time since being rained out in Colorado on May 22.
NOTES: Rockies catcher Rosario got hit in the face by a ball he fouled off that hit the ground and bounced straight up in the second inning. A team trainer came out to check on Rosario, who stayed in the game. ... RHP Christian Bergman (0-1) will make his second start in the majors for Colorado on Saturday. The rookie allowed just two earned runs in his pro debut on June 9. RHP Ryan Vogelsong (4-3) pitches for San Francisco.
© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
