San Francisco @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2010 ) San Francisco 3, Colorado 7
The San Francisco Giants are hoping their ace will be able to help them find the win column.
The Giants look to halt a season-high six-game losing streak tonight when Tim Lincecum takes the mound against the Colorado Rockies.
After completing a 1-5 homestand in which it lost the last five games, San Francisco failed to end the slide on Thursday, opening a four-game series at Coors Field with a 7-3 loss.
Rookie left-hander Madison Bumgarner kept the Giants in the game, allowing four runs in seven innings. But other than a two-run single by Aaron Rowand and Buster Posey's solo home run, San Francisco was unable to muster up any more offense against Aaron Cook, who improved to 3-0 at home this season by yielding three runs in 6 1/3 frames.
The loss, which kicked off a season-high 11-game road trip, was the Giants' eighth in their last 10 games away from home. It also dropped San Francisco to 8-18 against National League West opponents, including a 2-9 mark on the road.
The Giants will try to turn things around behind Lincecum, who has won three of his last four starts. The reigning two-time NL Cy Young Award winner has allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of his 16 outings this season.
However, Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox was one of the three starts in which Lincecum was reached for more. The 26-year-old lasted just three innings, surrendering four runs and five hits in a 5-1 setback.
In 12 career meetings with Colorado, Lincecum owns a 5-4 record with a 3.62 ERA. He suffered one of the losses on May 31, when he gave up four runs - three earned - six hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings of a 4-0 defeat.
One member of the Rockies to have success against the right-hander is Todd Helton, who is 10-for-22 (.455) with a homer and three RBIs.
Lincecum has yet to lose on the road this year, going 3-0 with a 2.54 ERA in seven starts.
Colorado will counter with Jhoulys Chacin, who has fallen on hard times of late, going 1-5 in his last six outings.
He came up short against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Sunday thanks in part to an error by Ian Stewart that led to three unearned runs. Chacin yielded five runs overall and five hits in six innings while striking out a career-high 12 in a 10-3 loss.
The 22-year-old, who is 2-3 with a 4.80 ERA at home this season, was brilliant in his first meeting with San Francisco in 2010. On May 2, the right-hander limited the Giants to one hit and three walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 4-1 triumph.
Thursday's victory, which began the Rockies' 10-game homestand, gave them a 9-2 record in their last 11 home games.
Carlos Gonzalez belted a two-run homer, his team-leading 13th blast of the year, while Dexter Fowler collected three hits, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.
Posey figures to receive more time behind the plate for the Giants, who traded starting catcher Bengie Molina to the Texas Rangers prior to Thursday's game. In return, San Francisco acquired right-hander Chris Ray, who adds depth to the bullpen.
Ray went 2-0 with one save and a 3.41 ERA in 35 appearances for Texas this season.