Wrong Rookie Named Trevor Goes Deep Twice In Rockies 7-2 Loss To Giants
DENVER (AP) - Tyler Chatwood's first home start in nearly two years was spoiled by two bad pitches.
Chatwood threw six mostly solid innings, but two-run homers by Trevor Brown and Hunter Pence led the San Francisco Giants past the Colorado Rockies 7-2 on Tuesday night.
Brown also hit a two-run homer off reliever Jason Gurka and Jeff Samardzija tossed eight solid innings to get his first win for San Francisco.
"He made some good pitches when he needed and we were not able to put any more pressure on him," Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said of Samardzija.
Chatwood took the Coors Field mound for the first time since April 29, 2014, also against the Giants. He missed most of that season and all of 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time.
He pitched well in Arizona last week to earn his first win in two years but couldn't match the success against the Giants.
"I thought he threw the ball well," manager Walt Weiss said. "A couple of two-run homers. He certainly kept us in the game and gave us a chance."
Brown, starting at catcher in place of banged-up Buster Posey, hit a two-run homer off Chatwood (1-1) in the sixth and another off Gurka in the eighth.
It was Brown's first multihomer game of his career, and his four RBIs were also a career high. His only other home run this season broke up a no-hit bid in the eighth inning against Chris Hatcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
Samardzija (1-0), who signed a $90 million, five-year contract in the offseason, tamed hitter-friendly Coors Field by scattering eight hits and striking out five. He allowed RBI singles to Mark Reynolds in the third and Nolan Arenado in the fifth.
He retired the next nine batters before leaving after throwing 111 pitches. Samardzija also got his first hit, a double, after Brown's first home run.
He was locked in a pitcher's duel with Chatwood until Pence broke a 1-all tie with his two-run homer in the fifth, his second of the season.
"I made two pitches that hurt me," Chatwood said. "The pitch that Pence hit out was what we wanted to do. It got to the spot and he beat me to the spot. The other two-run homer with two outs, I left the ball up and he hit out of the park."
The Rockies got one back in the bottom of the inning when Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan let Arenado's blooper fall between them in the outfield, but Pagan threw out Gonzalez at home to keep the Giants ahead 3-2.
Pagan kept the sixth alive when he beat out a throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play, and Brown followed with his first home run.
Pagan reached again in the eighth off Gurka and stole second before Brown drilled another fastball into the left-field seats.
WEEK TO REMEMBER
Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story capped a historic start by winning NL Player of the Week honors. Story earned the award when he became the first major league player to hit seven home runs in the first six games of his career. He entered Monday leading the majors in homers and RBIs (12), but he is trying to keep his torrid start in perspective.
"If I told you I expected to hit seven home runs, I would be lying to you," he said. "I really can't say that I thought it would be like this."
Samardzija helped ground Story by fanning the rookie three times on cut fastballs. Story finished 0 for 4 and went without an RBI or hit for the first time this season.
"Story, he's had a great start, but I'm worried about CarGo, (Gerardo) Parra, those big power lefties," Samardzija said. "We respect him as a player and we're going to keep pitching to him tough because he's proven what he can do."
QUICK RESPONSE
Parra has a strong outfield arm and he showed it off in the third when Denard Span scored from second on a single by Pence. Parra went home with his throw, allowing Pence to advance to second. Brandon Belt followed with a single and this time Parra's throw cut down Pence at the plate.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray threw 64 pitches in a rehab start for Double-A Modesto on Sunday. Gray, who is recovering from a strained abdomen, is scheduled for another rehab start on Friday, when he will increase his pitch count to 85.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Jordan Lyles (0-1, 13.50) was roughed up for five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against San Diego in Colorado's home opener on Friday.
- By MICHAEL KELLY, AP Sports Writer
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