Colorado @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 5, 2012 ) San Francisco 8, Colorado 3

The last time the San Francisco Giants played the Colorado Rockies, they swept three games from their National League West rival and outscored them 35-17 at Coors Field last weekend. The Giants, coming off a four-game split at St. Louis, will try to keep the Rockies down when they host them for three games beginning Friday. The Giants lead the NL West by one game over Los Angeles and 4 1/2 over Arizona. The Rockies have the second-worst record in baseball at 40-69 and own the highest ERA at 5.42, but allowed only seven runs in taking two of three at Los Angeles this week. San Francisco leads the season series 6-2, although the teams have split two meetings at AT&T Park.

Colorado's Tyler Chatwood and San Francisco's Tim Lincecum will meet in a rematch of the Giants' 8-3 victory on Sunday. It marked Lincecum's second consecutive quality start, something he has accomplished only three times season. It was Chatwood's first major league start of the season and he struggled with his command, walking four in 3 1/3 innings before reaching the Rockies' mandated 75-pitch limit. He'll have to slow down an offense which has scored 93 runs in 13 games since the All-Star break (7.1 per game). The Giants averaged 3.9 runs per game in the first half.

TV: 10:35 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Colorado), CS Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Tyler Chatwood (1-2, 6.61 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Lincecum (6-11, 5.43)

Chatwood will likely start the rest of the season as the Rockies try to determine his future. In 13 minor-league starts between Tulsa and Triple-A Colorado Springs this season, Chatwood was 1-3 with a 4.70 ERA and allowed 69 hits in 61 1/3 innings. Chatwood has previous starting experience in the major leagues. He was 6-11, 4.75 in 27 games (25 starts) with the Los Angeles Angels in his rookie season of 2011. This will be Chatwood's third appearance against the Giants, who are 2-for-28 with five walks against him in 6 1/3 innings.

Lincecum, who entered the season 69-41 with a pair of Cy Young Awards, will try for his season-high third straight quality start. He allowed one run, five hits and struck out five in six innings Sunday. Lincecum yielded one run, six hits and struck out seven in seven innings in a 4-1 victory over New York on July 31. The Rockies' expected starting lineup is 27-for-95 (.284) against him, with Carlos Gonzalez (.311, two homers, three triples, seven RBIs and 10 strikeouts in 35 at-bats) leading the way. He was 2-for-4 on Sunday.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Giants will honor RHP Matt Cain prior to Friday's first pitch. Cain pitched the first perfect game in franchise history June 13.

2. Colorado rookie INF Josh Rutledge is hitting .340 with six homers and 18 RBIs in his first 23 games, but was 1-for-13 against the Giants, including 0-for-3 against Lincecum.

3. Rockies 1B Todd Helton, 38, is scheduled to undergo surgery on his right hip Friday. Helton, Colorado's all-time leader in home runs (354) and RBIs (1,345), is expected to be ready for spring training. He has one year remaining on his contract.