San Francisco Giants Slam Colorado Rockies In Denver
DENVER (AP) -- The San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 7-2 on Tuesday night in Denver, with Trevor Brown hitting a pair of two-run homers and Jeff Samardzija tossing eight solid innings.
Hunter Pence also hit a two-run home run to help San Francisco win for the fourth time in the last five games.
Brown, starting at catcher in place of banged-up Buster Posey, hit a two-run homer off starter Tyler Chatwood in the sixth and another off reliever Jason Gurka in the eighth.
Posey was given the night off because of a bruise on his right instep after he was hurt on a foul tip by the Dodgers' Chase Utley on Sunday. He was available to pinch hit and is expected to be back in the lineup on Wednesday.
It was Brown's first multi-homer game of his career, and his four RBIs were also a career high. His only other home run this season broke up a no-hit bid in the eighth inning against Chris Hatcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
Samardzija, who signed a $90 million, five-year contract in the off-season, tamed hitter-friendly Coors Field by scattering eight hits and striking out five. He allowed RBI singles to Mark Reynolds in the third and Nolan Arenado in the fifth.
He retired the next nine batters before leaving after throwing 111 pitches. Samardzija also got his first hit, a double, after Brown's first home run.
He was locked in a pitcher's duel with Chatwood until Pence broke a 1-all tie with his two-run homer in the fifth, his second of the season.
The Rockies got one back in the bottom of the inning when Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan let Arenado's blooper fall between them in the outfield, but Pagan threw out Carlos Gonzalez at home to keep the Giants ahead 3-2.
Pagan kept the sixth alive when he beat out a throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play, and Brown followed with his first home run.
Pagan reached again in the eighth off Gurka and stole second before Brown drilled another fastball into the left-field seats.
Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story capped a historic start by winning NL Player of the Week honors. Story earned the award when he became the first major league player to hit seven home runs in the first six games of his career. He entered Monday leading the majors in homers and RBIs (12), but he is trying to keep his torrid start in perspective.
"If I told you I expected to hit seven home runs, I would be lying to you," Story said. "I really can't say that I thought it would be like this."
