San Francisco Giants vs Colorado Rockies Box Score on Sep 06, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 7, 2017

DENVER -- Joe Panik completed a historic series Wednesday night for the San Francisco Giants, who finally won a game at Coors Field.

It took exactly one year, but the Giants walloped the Colorado Rockies 11-3 to avoid more embarrassment in what has been a forgettable season. The Giants were 0-9 at Coors Field this season and had dropped 10 straight games in Denver since last winning there Sept. 6, 2016.

Panik had a career-high-tying five hits and went 12-for-15 to set a franchise record for the most hits in a three-game series. The second baseman surpassed Mike Benjamin, who went 11-for-16 from June 13-15, 1995, at the Chicago Cubs, and Hall of Famers Freddie Lindstrom, who had 11 hits in a three-game series in June 1928, and Bill Terry, who had 11 hits in a three-game series in June 1929.

Panik's 12 hits are the most by a Giants player in a single series against the Rockies. Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent had 10 hits against the Rockies in separate series in 2002.

Gorkys Hernandez had three RBIs for San Francisco. Panik drove in two runs, as did Austin Slater, who singled home two runs in the first, and Nick Hundley, who hit a 450-foot, two-run homer in the eighth.

The Rockies, who concluded a 3-6 homestand, are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second National League wild card.

Johnny Cueto (7-7) limited the Rockies to five hits and one run in five innings but needed 98 pitches to get that far. Cueto is 9-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 15 career starts against the Rockies and 5-2 with a 3.26 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field.

He was making his second start after missing 45 games with blister issues and a flexor tendon strain.

The Giants led 5-0 after four innings.

Charlie Blackmon hit his 34th homer in the seventh after Giants pinch hitter Mac Williamson hit a homer in the top of the inning off Jeff Hoffman, who gave up two runs in the sixth on Panik's double and Brandon Crawford's bloop single.

Hoffman relieved starter Kyle Freeland (11-10), who allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings.

The Rockies broke through in the fifth inning against Cueto with Carlos Gonzalez's two-out single. The hit cut the Giants' lead to 5-1 and scored Blackmon, who doubled with one out and continued Gonzalez's success against Cueto.

Gonzalez entered the game 12-for-35 (.343) vs. the right-hander with one homer and six RBIs.

A three-run fourth put the Giants ahead 5-0 and chased Freeland.

Hernandez singled home two runs on a hard grounder that went past third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was playing almost on the grass with one out and runners at second and third.

Panik followed with a double into the left field corner that scored Hernandez and ended Freeland's outing.

NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey, who was hit on the fourth finger of his right hand with a foul tip in the eighth Tuesday, didn't play. The Giants hope he can play first base or DH on Friday at the Chicago White Sox. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu extended his season-high hitting streak to 14 games. ... Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval took a third strike pinch-hitting in the sixth and is 0-for-38, the longest hitless streak by a Giants position player since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. ... Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez batted third for the first time since June 11. ... RHP Jeff Hoffman will likely make his first start for the Rockies since Aug. 17 on Sunday at the Los Angeles Dodgers when the fifth starter's turn arises. He threw gave up three runs in two innings Wednesday. ... Rockies OF Raimel Tapia will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.