San Francisco @ Colorado preview
Coors Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 3, 2010 ) San Francisco 11, Colorado 8
If his first two starts against the Colorado Rockies are any indication, Matt Cain likely will be leading the San Francisco Giants to their second straight victory.
Cain will attempt to make it two in a row for the Giants when they wrap up their four-game series against the Rockies today.
Entering with a seven-game losing streak, its longest since an eight-game skid in June 2007, San Francisco figured to have little chance of snapping the dubious run Saturday as it faced Ubaldo Jimenez.
However, the majors' winningest pitcher had problems of his own, allowing seven runs - all in the third inning. The Rockies bailed out Jimenez, rallying to take an 8-7 lead, but the Giants would not be denied, scoring the next four runs to end their slide and win for just the second time in 11 games.
Travis Ishikawa hit his first career grand slam and Aubrey Huff belted a two-run homer, his third blast in two games, as San Francisco scored more than three runs for the first time in eight contests.
With the triumph, the Giants improved to 1-2 on their season-high 11-game road trip and 3-8 in their last 11 away from home.
Given his recent success against the Rockies, Cain has a good chance of stopping a personal three-game losing streak.
On May 1, the 25-year-old limited Colorado to one hit and three walks in eight innings of a 6-1 victory, striking out eight. He was nearly as good in their next meeting on June 2, allowing just one run and four hits over eight frames as the Giants posted 4-1 win.
In 20 career starts vs. the Rockies, Cain owns a 10-6 record with a 2.96 ERA.
Despite his dominance over Colorado, the right-hander has struggled of late. After being battered for seven runs and nine hits in just 2 2/3 innings by Houston on June 24, Cain yielded four runs over five frames in a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
As good as Cain has been against his National League West Division rivals, the Rockies have a good option with which to counter in Jason Hammel, who is 5-0 in his last seven starts.
Hammel has not lost since May 21, when he surrendered five runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings against Kansas City. That outing is but a memory as the 27-year-old extended his winning streak to five by holding San Diego to three runs over six innings in Tuesday's 6-3 triumph.
In five career starts against the Giants, Hammel is 0-2 with a 3.03 ERA. He pitched well in San Francisco on June 1, allowing only one run and seven hits in 6 2/3 frames, but was forced to settle for a no-decision.
Hammel is 5-1 with a 3.31 ERA in eight starts at home this year.
The Rockies helped Jimenez avoid his second loss of the season Saturday by chipping away at their 7-1 deficit and taking a one-run lead. Carlos Gonzalez was a major contributor, beginning the comeback in the third inning with his team-leading 14th home run and capping it in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
Despite losing for just the third time in 12 home contests, Colorado completed the first half of its schedule with a 43-38 record, one game better than its 2009 mark.
Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart, who drove in a run and scored another, was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning and left the game after seven with an elbow injury.