San Francisco @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2013 ) San Francisco 5, Colorado 3

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki returned to Colorado’s lineup but slugger Carlos Gonzalez remains out of the mix as the Rockies conclude a three-game home series against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. Gonzalez took batting practice on Tuesday and has 26 homers and 70 RBIs but hasn’t played since August 4 due to a sprained right middle finger that had bothered him since early July. Tulowitzki missed two games with rib soreness before returning for Tuesday’s 5-3 loss.

San Francisco outfielder Hunter Pence has had an eventful first two games of the series. He smashed into the fence during Monday’s game and slammed a 476-foot homer – longest in the majors this season – in Tuesday’s victory. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval followed Pence’s blast with a homer of his own to give the Giants their first back-to-back homers of the season.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (11-8, 2.84 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jhoulys Chacin (12-7, 3.22)

Bumgarner is 0-2 during a four-start winless skid despite not allowing more than three earned runs in any of the outings. He is 2-1 with a 5.19 ERA in three 2013 outings against Colorado, including a victory June 30 when he allowed one run and four hits in seven innings. Bumgarner is 7-4 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 career starts against the Rockies.

Chacin is in the midst of a solid five-start stretch in which he is 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA. He has had mixed results against the Giants this season, tossing eight innings of three-hit shutout ball in a win on June 28 but being roughed up for eight runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings in a May 16 loss. Chacin is 4-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 12 career appearances (11 starts) against San Francisco.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Francisco OF Andres Torres will undergo season-ending Achilles’ tendon surgery on Wednesday.

2. Rockies CF Dexter Fowler (knee) is expected to miss his second straight game.

3. Giants C Buster Posey is 7-for-13 against Chacin and has a 14-game hitting streak at Coors Field.

PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Giants 5