San Francisco @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( May 21, 2014 ) San Francisco 5, Colorado 1

The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies hobble into the finale of their three-game series Thursday after three key players left Wednesday's contest. The injury which could have the most impact Thursday is the left index finger inflammation suffered by Colorado All-Star left fielder Carlos Gonzalez. “I got my first at-bat (Wednesday) and then went to left field and it started getting big and fat again,” Gonzalez told reporters after San Francisco evened the series with a 5-1 victory. “I tried to keep myself in the game. I walked in the second at-bat and then I tried to hit in the third at-bat and it was bad, so they decided to take me out of the game.”

The Giants lost starter Matt Cain and reliever Santiago Casilla with right hamstring strains, although Casilla's injury seemed to be more serious. San Francisco's Tim Hudson was scratched from his previous start because of a strained left hip, but appears ready after a bullpen session Tuesday. He opposes Jorge De La Rosa, who won his fifth straight start after taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his last turn, which was delayed three days because of back tightness.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Hudson (4-2, 2.09 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (5-3, 4.14)

Hudson said he felt the injury during San Francisco's 7-4 victory at Dodger Stadium on May 11 when he yielded two runs and eight hits in six innings while earning a no-decision. The 38-year-old Columbus, Ga., native is 5-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 12 starts against Colorado - including a no-decision in the Giants' 5-4 win over the Rockies on April 13 - but is 0-2, 7.41 in six turns at Coors Field. Hudson fares well against Colorado's big veteran bats as Troy Tulowitzki, Gonzalez, Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau are batting .230 in a combined 61 at-bats with only two home runs, three doubles and five RBIs, while Charlie Blackmon is 5-for-8.

De La Rosa yielded only Chris Denorfia's triple in seven scoreless innings in Colorado's 3-1 victory over San Diego on Friday while working with a swollen knuckle on his pitching hand. ''It's always something with me,'' The 33-year-old Mexican, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012 and missed almost half of 2010 with a pulled finger tendon, told reporters. De La Rosa has won his last three decisions versus the Giants and is 6-1 in nine starts against San Francisco at Coors Field.

WALK-OFFS

1. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said C Buster Posey (back) is doing a lot better and could be in the lineup Thursday after missing the last two games.

2. Colorado, which has won 10 of the 15 meetings with San Francisco at Coors Field since the start of 2013, is 7-0 in home series this season.

3. Tulowitzki leads the majors with a .378 average, but went 0-for-4 on Wednesday to lower his average at home to .521.

PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Giants 5