Colorado @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 26, 2014 ) Colorado 6, San Francisco 8

The Colorado Rockies have been all over the map to start the season and they'll try to find some consistency when they open a three-game series Friday night against the host San Francisco Giants. The Rockies have scored eight or more runs in four of the last six games, but also have given up eight or more three times, including 15 in a loss to the visiting Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Winning on the road has been a challenge for Colorado, which finished 29-52 away from Coors Field in each of the last two years and has lost three of four to start this season.

The Giants made a nice rally from three runs down to force extra innings against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of their three-game series Thursday night, but they ultimately lost in 10 innings and used seven relievers in the process. Pablo Sandoval is the most overdue player in San Francisco, as his average is sitting at .132 and he’s yet to produce a multi-hit game, something he did four times in the first seven games last season. April has been the worst month for Hunter Pence in terms of hitting and he’s following that trend by batting .146 in the No. 5 spot.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Colorado), NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUPS: Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 8.31 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 1.74).

De La Rosa has proved to be a different pitcher on the road in his career, owning a 26-37 record compared to 44-21 at home. He was 10-1 at Coors Field last season but just 6-5 away from Denver. He hasn’t managed to escape the fifth inning in his first two starts this season, throwing 42 pitches to six batters in the first inning of his latest outing, a 9-4 loss to the visiting Diamondbacks last weekend.

Bumgarner has been sharp in his career against the Rockies, building a 7-5 mark with a 3.09 ERA. That hasn’t been the case when facing Colorado outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, however. The lefty vs. lefty matchup hasn’t seemed to affect Gonzalez as he’s 11-for-30 in his career off Bumgarner with four home runs and three doubles.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies LHP Adam Ottavino has allowed two hits, no runs and struck out 10 of the 16 batters he has faced in relief this season.

2. Colorado OF Charlie Blackmon has three games with three or more hits this season after not producing his first three-hit game last season until Aug. 30.

3. San Francisco C Buster Posey had his first major league bunt single on Thursday night.

PREDICTION: Giants 4, Rockies 2