The month of June ends with a much needed win for the world champs.
The San Francisco Giants (39-42) managed to take the last game of this three game set in Colorado and beat the Rockies (41-42) by a final of 5-2. The win snaps the Giants six game losing streak, the longest such streak for the orange and black this year.
A two-run home run by Hunter Pence in the 5th inning help put the game out of reach making it a four-run lead for San Francisco at that point. It was Pence’s 13th homer of the season.
Buster Posey also had a home run earlier in the game to start off the scoring with a solo shot to left, his 12th of the year. Posey would later hit in a run on a ground out in the 5th inning to make a three-run game. That was followed up by Pence’s home run.
Colorado starter Drew Pomeranz (L, 0-1) would leave the game in the 5th after walking the following two batters after Pence’s big fly. Pomeranz allowed four earned runs in the start.
As for San Francisco’s starter, Madison Bumgarner’s pitching performance was just what the doctor ordered. Bumgarner (W, 8-5) went seven innings on the mound striking out five and allowing just one earned run on four hits and three walks.
“Bumgarner has been consistent all year,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s been consistent in every start. He’s a special talent. and he showed that today.”
The one run that Madison allowed was a solo shot by Carlos Gonzalez in the 6th to right center. It was Gonzalez’s 22nd home run of the season.
The Giants would get that run back in the 7th. With two outs and Juan Perez on 1st, Carlos Quiroz hit a fly ball to right that somehow found its way to the ground for a single. Perez would score all the way from 1st on that single beating the throw home.
When it comes to hitting streaks, Rockies right fiedler Michael Cuddyer keeps his alive with a single in the 8th inning. That extends Cuddyer’s hitting streak to 27 games. Cuddyer would score in the inning on Wilin Rosario’s double to deep right.
That would be the last run the Rockies would get in the game. Giants reliever Sandy Rosario would recover from Wilin Rosario’s double and get Nolan Arenado to strike out swinging to end the inning. In the 9th, Sergio Romo would come out of the pen to close it out for the Giants allowing just a double to Todd Helton who was pinch hitting. The next batter D.J. LeMahieu would pop out to 2nd to end the game and give Romo his 19th save of 2013.
Game one of this series had Colorado’s Michael Cuddyer and Wilin Rosario hitting back-to-back home runs in the 3rd to help give the Rockies a 4-1 win. The sole run for the Giants came in the 9th with a Buster Posey home run.
The Rockies would win in walk off fashion in game two of the series by a final of 2-1. With two outs in the 9th, Nolan Arenado hit a walk off single up the middle to get in Josh Rutledge from 2nd to win the game. Rutledge was pinch running for Todd Helton who got on base via a walk. Rutledge would steal 2nd earlier in Arenado’s at bat.
Luckily for the Giants, the month of June has ended. San Francisco had a 10-17 record in June and scored 90 runs in that time span. Only the Yankees scored less across all of baseball in June with 88 runs.
As this is the half way point of the season for San Francisco, the one number that stands out is Starter ERA. Last year, the Giants’ starters had an ERA of 3.73 which was good enough for 6th in the majors. So far this season, the Giants’ starters have an ERA of 4.47 which is 7th worst in baseball.
The Giants now head to Cincinnati to take on the Reds (46-26) in a four game series. San Francisco’s probables are Michael Kickham (0-2), Tim Lincecum (4-8), Barry Zito (4-6), and Matt Cain (5-4). Cincinnati’s probables are Bronson Arroyo (6-6), Homer Bailey (4-6), Tony Cingrani (3-0), and Mike Leake (7-3).
This will be the first time the Giants go back to Cincinnati since last years NLDS series between themselves and the Reds. The Giants were down 0-2 when the best of five series shifted to Cincinnati. However, San Francisco would take all three games in Great American Ball Park and go on to claim a world title.