SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Madison Bumgarner pitched six strong innings, and Austin Slater and Hunter Pence drove in runs as the San Francisco Giants beat Colorado 3-0 Saturday night and knocked the Rockies out of first place in the National League West.
The Rockies slipped a half-game behind the Dodgers in the division. Los Angeles beat St. Louis 17-4 Saturday.
The Giants shut out Colorado for the second straight game after starting the month of September with 11 straight losses, their worst winless stretch since moving to San Francisco.
San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik (12) forces out Colorado Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon (19) and completes a double play in the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
The Rockies lost for the sixth time in seven games at AT&T Park.
Bumgarner (6-6) struck out two, walked one and hit a batter in winning for the second time in eight starts. He extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak at home to 20.
Relievers Tony Watson, Mark Melancon and Will Smith combined for three innings of two-hit ball for the Giants. Smith worked the ninth for his 12th save.
The Rockies were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. They’ve been held scoreless for 19 straight innings, dating to Thursday’s game against Arizona.
The Giants were held to three runs or fewer in 16 of their last 18 games and 10th straight, the team’s longest such streak since 2002, when they went 11 in a row. (Aug. 14-18).
Slater drove in a run with an infield grounder, and Pence had an RBI single in a two-run second inning off Rockies starter German Marquez (12-10).
Bumgarner, who doubled leading off the third, scored the Giants’ third run on a wild pitch.
Marquez gave up three runs on seven hits, a walk and hit two batters.
MARQ OF CONSISTENCY
Marquez extended his streak of consecutive quality starts (at least six innings pitched, three or fewer earned runs) to 10. The streak is the Rockies’ longest since Ubaldo Jimenez opened 2010 with a franchise record 14 consecutive quality starts.
A FIRST
The Rockies started the day atop the NL West with a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were alone in first place at the latest point of any season since 1995 (Sept. 26).
WARNING
Home plate umpire Ramon DeJesus immediately warned both benches after Marquez hit Evan Longoria in the upper back with runners at second and third and one out in the third, an inning after Bumgarner hit D.J. LaMahieu.
Marquez hit Slater in the head with a 78 mph curveball in the bottom of the sixth, but no action was taken.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: 1B Brandon Belt (right knee soreness) had an MRI on Saturday, the results of which weren’t available before the game, manager Bruce Bochy said. . C Aramis Garcia has been taking ground balls at first and could see playing time there, Bochy said. Garcia will catch Sunday’s game.
UP NEXT
Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (4-6, 5.01 ERA) is winless in his last six starts and hasn’t won on the road since April 27 (in relief). RHP Derek Rodrigues (6-3, 2.35) is among two pitchers in MLB history who have pitched at least six innings and given up two or fewer runs in 13 of their first 16 career starts. Former Montreal Expos pitcher Steve Rogers is the other.
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San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) scores in front of Colorado Rockies catcher Tony Wolters (14) during a baseball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
San Francisco Giants left fielder Hunter Pence (8), center fielder Gorkys Hernández (7) and right fielder Gregor Blanco (1) celebrate a victory over the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) singles in the second inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher German Marquez (48) throws a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) throws a pitch in the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy (15) congratulates shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) after scoring in the second inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
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