San Francisco @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2016 ) San Francisco 0, Colorado 6

The struggling San Francisco Giants visit the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday in the middle contest of a three-game series and must soon snap out a funk that has lasted since the All-Star break. San Francisco had the best record in baseball (57-33) and led the Los Angeles Dodgers by 6 1/2 games in the National League West at the break, but is a major league-worst 16-31 since and trails Los Angeles by four games while seeing its wild-card cushion reduced to 1 1/2 over the New York Mets.

"It's time for us to wake up here," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters after Monday's 6-0 loss. "We are better than this." Colorado (66-71) has a chance for its first .500 season since 2010 as its starting pitching continues to make strides with Monday's two-hitter by Chad Bettis representing the latest example. While the 4.77 ERA posted by Rockies' starters this season won't turn many heads in a positive direction, it is markedly better than their major league-high 5.27 in 2015. San Francisco's Jeff Samardzija has enjoyed success at Coors Field (2-0, 2.01 ERA in 22 1/3 career innings) and opposes rookie Tyler Anderson, who is 5-1 with a 3.11 ERA at home.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), ROOT (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (11-9, 4.06 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Tyler Anderson (5-5, 3.43)

Samardzija earned a no-decision after allowing three runs, five hits and three walks while throwing 87 pitches - 47 in the first inning - over four frames of San Francisco's 5-4 loss to the Cubs in Chicago on Thursday. The 31-year-old Indiana native yielded only one home run in his last five starts and is 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA during that span. Nolan Arenado is 5-for-13 versus Samardzija, who is 3-1 with a 2.11 ERA in nine games (five starts) versus Colorado - 1-1, 2.30 in two turns this season with the victory coming at Coors Field on April 12.

Anderson permitted six hits and two walks while striking out five in 6 1/3 innings of a 7-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Nevada native was winless (0-2) with a 4.91 ERA and five home runs allowed in his previous four turns. Anderson, who is 4-1 with a 4.31 ERA at night and 1-4, 2.40 during the day, lost his only game against the Giants, 3-1 in San Francisco on July 4 when he allowed a two-run homer to Angel Pagan and a solo shot to Buster Posey.

WALK-OFFS

1. Giants LHP Ty Blach, a Denver native, made his major league debut Monday and pitched three scoreless innings.

2. Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon (.317, 23 home runs, 67 RBIs) missed the last three games (back).

3. San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt (14 home runs), SS Brandon Crawford (12) and C Posey (12), who lead the Giants in home runs, have not gone deep in their last 243 at-bats combined.

PREDICTION: Giants 3, Rockies 2