Colorado @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( May 24, 2015 ) San Francisco 2, Colorado 11

Buster Posey enjoys swinging the lumber against Colorado pitching and looks for another strong outing when the San Francisco Giants open a three-game set against the visiting Rockies on Friday. Posey is a lifetime .368 hitter with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 80 career games against Colorado despite experiencing some struggles this season.

Posey is just 6-for-28 with four RBIs against the Rockies in 2015 but warmed up for this series by going 3-for-5 with three RBIs in Thursday's 13-8 victory over the San Diego Padres. He had seven RBIs as San Francisco scored 19 runs while winning the final two games of the series and has helped the Giants win five of the last seven games. The Rockies are opening a 10-game road trip and hope to fare better than their last excursion, when they dropped five of six against Miami and Houston. Colorado has scored 38 runs while winning four of its last five overall games -- including Thursday's 6-4 win over Arizona.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Chad Bettis (3-2, 3.44 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Hudson (5-6, 4.52)

Bettis defeated Milwaukee in his last turn when he gave up one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He had a strong effort when he beat the Giants on May 24, allowing two runs and six hits in 8 1/3 innings. Bettis, who has struck out 43 in 49 2/3 innings, struggles against San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt (6-for-9, two doubles).

Hudson was victorious against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last outing when he allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He is 5-4 with a 4.77 ERA in 18 career starts against Colorado and was torched for eight runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings in a losing effort on May 24. Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez is 4-for-21 with one homer against Hudson.

WALK-OFFS

1. Gonzalez (left hand) sat out Thursday but is expected to be available on Friday.

2. San Francisco had four triples on Thursday for the first time since Sept. 15, 1960 (three by Willie Mays, one by Eddie Bressoud) with Belt recording two of them while SS Brandon Crawford and 3B Matt Duffy had one apiece.

3. Colorado RHP Rafael Betancourt (sinus infection, vertigo) is expected to be activated during the series.

PREDICTION: Giants 8, Rockies 5