Giants get 4 in 9th to beat Rockies; 1st team with 90 wins

Sep 8, 2021, 4:00 AM | Updated: 5:52 pm

DENVER (AP) — LaMonte Wade Jr. and Evan Longoria each had two RBIs during a four-run rally in the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 7-4 on Wednesday.

The streaking Giants (90-50) won their fourth straight and became the first team in the majors to win 90 games. They began the day with a one-game lead in the NL West over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Wednesday’s rally capped a three-game sweep of Colorado and was the last of 16 consecutive days of baseball. San Francisco went 10-6 in a schedule that included a 4-6 mark against postseason hopefuls Atlanta, Milwaukee and the Dodgers.

“We did a nice job through a very difficult stretch of games and some point we’ll look back and really recognize what a grind that was,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.

Brandon Crawford homered and Brandon Belt had three hits for San Francisco. Tyler Rogers (6-1) worked a scoreless eighth inning and Jake McGee pitched the ninth for his 30th save.

The Giants trailed 4-3 when Carlos Estévez (2-4) walked pinch-hitter Buster Posey to open the ninth and two straight singles loaded the bases. Wade lined another single to right-center to give the Giants the lead.

“He’s had so many big hits for us this year,” Crawford said of Wade. “Down to our last strike a couple of times and then so many tiebreaker, go-ahead base hits for us. He’s been a huge for us.”

Longoria doubled to center to cap the comeback.

“Estévez is a big challenge,” Kapler said. “He’s throwing 98 mph bowling balls up there and one of the tougher at-bats for right-handed hitters, so Longo’s hit was as big as any.”

Elías Díaz, who also had two doubles, put Colorado ahead 4-3 with his 16th homer in the sixth.

San Francisco starter Anthony DeSclafani gave up three straight singles, including one to pitcher Jon Gray that drove in the first run, before exiting with one out in the fifth.

A groundout and Trevor Story’s double gave Colorado a 3-0 lead.

The Giants tied it on Crawford’s three-run homer — his 20th — in the sixth off Gray, who was activated from the injured list for the start. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out eight in five-plus innings.

“Five scoreless innings, held them down and got some punch outs,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of Gray. “In the sixth, three opposite-field hits. On balance I thought Jon threw the ball really, really well, and physically he was fine.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: RHP Johnny Cueto (right elbow strain) won’t start throwing on the side for another couple of days, Kapler said. … LHP Alex Wood (COVID-19) will end his quarantine period Thursday and join the team. … Infielders Donovan Solano (COVID-19) and Wilmer Flores (left hamstring strain) have increased baseball activities. Flores could rejoin the team Sunday in Chicago and Solano on Sunday or next week.

Rockies: RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. He pitched Tuesday night, allowing five runs in 1 1/3 innings.

PAINFUL AT-BAT

Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski fouled a ball off his ankle in the eighth inning but drew a walk before leaving after the half inning with an ankle contusion.

“The reason we took him out of the game was we didn’t feel like he was going to be capable of going to get a fly ball,” Kapler said, adding that Yastrzemski is day to day. “As tight as the game was, we were going to need people that could run around there and make plays. We weren’t sure Yaz was going to be able to do that.”

ROCKIES ROSTER MOVES

In addition to activating Gray from the injured list, the team recalled infielder Colton Welker and right-hander Antonio Santos from Triple-A Albuquerque. Infielder Joshua Fuentes was optioned to the Isotopes and reliever Robert Stephenson was placed on the paternity list.

UP NEXT

Giants: Kapler has said Friday’s game at the Chicago Cubs will be a bullpen game but hasn’t announced who will open.

Rockies: Antonio Senzatela (4-9, 4.16) will begin a four-game series at the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

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