Colorado @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 11, 2012 ) Colorado 3, San Francisco 9

If the San Francisco Giants are to hold off the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League West title, they will need someone other than Buster Posey to provide consistent hitting. The Giants also need to re-establish their supremacy at home as they try to continue their mastery of Colorado when they host the Rockies on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series. San Francisco has won only twice in its last 10 games at AT&T Park, including Saturday's 9-3 victory. Posey leads the majors with a .443 average since the All-Star break. San Francisco, which has won 14 of the last 18 meetings with Colorado, leads Los Angeles by one game and Arizona by five.

The Giants are sixth in the majors with a 3.55 ERA, but have hit only 73 homers - second-lowest only to Los Angeles' 69 - and a major league-worst 18 at home. They are also 23rd with a .243 average with runners in scoring position. San Francisco's Barry Zito is coming off his first win in four starts. He will oppose Colorado rookie Alex White, who has allowed two runs in 9 1/3 innings in two starts since returning to the rotation. The Rockies, who are 3-2 on their six-game road trip, will try to win back-to-back road series for the first time this season. They shut out the Giants 3-0 on Friday after winning two of three at Los Angeles earlier this week.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Root Sports (Colorado), CS Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Alex White (2-6, 5.75 ERA) vs. Giants LH Barry Zito (9-8, 4.19)

With the Rockies imposing a pitch limit of about 75 on its starters, it is harder for them to earn a victory. White needed 80 pitches to get through four shutout innings in Colorado's 3-1 victory at Los Angeles on Tuesday. He left his previous start after 5 1/3 innings and 84 pitches trailing 2-1 before the Rockies rallied for an 8-2 victory over St. Louis on Aug. 2. White is 0-2 with an 8.38 in two starts - both last September - against the Giants. Brandon Belt is 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs against White.

Zito allowed two runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings in the Giants' 4-2 victory at St. Louis on Tuesday. He had lost his previous two starts, allowing 11 runs and 13 hits in 9 2/3 innings, and has yielded five homers in his last five outings. Zito is 6-2 with a 2.39 ERA in 18 appearances (16 starts) against the Rockies. Colorado's roster is hitting .209 against him, but Carlos Gonzalez is hitting .348 (8-for-23) with a homer, triple and five RBIs.

WALK-OFFS

1. Colorado rookie INF Josh Rutledge is hitting .324 with six homers and 19 RBIs in his first 25 games, but is 2-for-21 with a solo homer in five games against San Francisco.

2. San Francisco INF Pablo Sandoval (hamstring) went 0-for-2 in his first rehab start Friday with Triple-A San Jose and could join the Giants as soon as Monday when they host Washington.

3. Colorado closer Rafael Betancourt hasn't allowed a hit in his last seven appearances - all one inning. He has five saves and lowered his ERA by .55 runs to 2.63 during that span.