Beltran sparks Giants to win

Share this: Email | Facebook | X

DENVER (AP) - Carlos Beltran had an RBI double in a four-run eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants extended their winning streak to seven games with a 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

The Giants moved five games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West with 10 games to play after Arizona lost at San Diego.

The Giants are also five games behind the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card race where they are third and trail the St. Louis Cardinals by a half game.

Huston Street, (1-4) pitching in a set-up role after Rafael Betancourt took over as the closer in mid-August while Street was on the disabled list, gave up a leadoff single to Andres Torres in the eighth.

Street fielded Jeff Keppinger's bunt, but threw the ball wide of shortstop Hector Gomez, allowing Torres to take third.

Beltran followed with a run-scoring double that sent Keppinger to third. Street then struck out Mark DeRosa.

But Brett Pill, who tripled home the Giants' first run in the sixth, tripled again and two runs scored.

Matt Lindstrom relieved Street and got pinch hitter Aubrey Huff to ground to first baseman Jordan Pacheco. He was slow throwing the ball home, and Pill scored to make it 6-3.

Santiago Casilla, filling in for injured closer Brian Wilson, earned his fifth save. He gave up a one-out single to pinch hitter Seth Smith and walked Ty Wigginton.

Mark Ellis doubled to score Smith, and Wigginton scored when Wilin Rosario grounded out.

Gomez had gone 2 for 3 in his first major league start, one night after his major league debut, but Casilla struck him out to end the game.

Waldis Joaquin (1-0) retired the two batters he faced in the eighth to earn the victory.

The Rockies' sixth-inning rally began with one out when Gomez singled for his first major league hit and pinch hitter Kevin Kouzmanoff singled. The runners moved up on a double steal with Eric Young Jr. in the process of drawing a walk.

Dexter Fowler singled home two runs, but was thrown out trying to take second after Young beat right fielder Beltran's throw to third. Guillermo Mota escaped further damage by striking out Jordan Pacheco.

Drew Pomeranz, one of the key pieces in the trade this summer that sent ace Ubaldo Jimenez to the Cleveland Indians, made his second start for the Rockies and second in the majors.

After throwing 63 pitches in his major league debut Sunday, his pitch limit was about 20 pitches higher. He walked DeRosa with two outs in the sixth and was taken out after throwing 85 pitches.

Matt Belisle relieved Pomeranz and Pill, the first batter he faced, drove a ball over the head of Wigginton, who started his second game of the season in right field and first at Coors Field.

The Giants scored a run in the second when Justin Christian singled off the glove of third baseman Pacheco with one out. He took third on a ground out and came home when pitcher Eric Surkamp lined a first-pitch single past Pomeranz for his first hit and first RBI in the majors.