San Francisco @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 1, 2014 ) San Francisco 9, Colorado 10

The San Francisco Giants appear to have the pitching necessary to reach the postseason, but their big bats - Hunter Pence and Buster Posey - could put them over the top. The hot-hitting duo tries to help San Francisco bounce back from a tough loss when the team visits the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. Pence is hitting .393 with 11 RBIs and 13 runs during a 14-game hitting streak while Posey is batting .469 with five homers and 14 RBIs over his last 11 contests.

The Giants blew a five-run lead Monday before losing 10-9 but stayed 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West while maintaining their three-game cushion atop the wild-card standings. Colorado's offense sprang back to life like it usually does at Coors Field after a 2-5 road trip yielded 12 runs. San Francisco's Yusmeiro Petit makes his second start since replacing Tim Lincecum in the rotation as he opposes Jordan Lyles in a rematch of the Giants' 4-1 victory Thursday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Yusmeiro Petit (4-3, 3.44 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jordan Lyles (6-2, 4.08)

Petit on Thursday set a major-league record when he retired his 46th consecutive batter before Lyles snapped the streak with a double in the third inning. ''I was a little nervous when the hitters were advancing toward the record,'' said the 29-year-old Venezuelan, who struck out nine while yielding one run and four hits in six innings of his first start since July 22. Petit is 2-1 with a 5.04 ERA in seven games (four starts) at Coors Field - 1-0, 2.57 in two relief appearances this season.

Lyles yielded three runs - including a two-run homer by Gregor Blanco - four hits and three walks in six innings Thursday to run his winless streak to four starts (0-1, 5.32 ERA). "I fell behind too many batters and left one pitch over the plate to (Gregor) Blanco," the 23-year-old South Carolina native told the Denver Post. Lyles, who is 4-1 with a 4.53 ERA in eight home starts this season, is 1-1, 3.38 in three turns against San Francisco while also yielding home runs to Pence and Michael Morse.

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado 2B Rafael Ynoa went 3-for-4 in his major-league debut, and his third hit - an infield single with two out in the ninth inning - preceded Charlie Blackmon's walk-off single. Ynoa, who entered the game during a double-switch in the fifth inning, also became the 500th player in Rockies history.

2. Colorado leads the majors with an eye-popping .317 batting average at home but is hitting .228 on the road - second-worst in the majors to San Diego's .222.

3. The Rockies lead the season series 9-7, including seven victories in the nine one-run games.

PREDICTION: Giants 6, Rockies 5