Giants' Cueto improves to 8-1 by beating Rockies
DENVER -- Johnny Cueto won his fifth straight decision Sunday and continued his mastery of both the Colorado Rockies and Coors Field in the San Francisco Giants' 8-3 victory.
The win was the 15th in 17 games for the Giants, a stretch in which their starting pitchers have gone 10-1 with a 1.53 ERA.
Cueto added to that gaudy run as he allowed two runs (one earned) and six hits in six innings to improve his record to 8-1 and lower his ERA to 2.31. He is the first Giants pitcher since Shawn Estes in 1997 to win at least eight of his first 11 starts.
In his past seven starts, Cueto is 5-0 with a 1.69 ERA (10 earned runs, 53 1/3 innings). He is 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rockies and 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six outings at Coors Field.
While winning the rubber game of the series and sending the Rockies to their eighth loss in 11 games, the Giants pounded out 17 hits, including eight doubles to tie the record for the San Francisco era of the franchise dating from 1958.
Hunter Pence had a career-high three doubles and three RBIs. Brandon Belt had two doubles and two RBIs. Brandon Crawford had a run-scoring double. Buster Posey and Gregor Blanco each had three hits, including a double. And Denard Span had three hits, including a home run.
Rockies starter Chris Rusin (1-3) worked five innings and failed to set the Giants down in order in any of them. He gave up 11 hits and six runs in five innings and allowed 14 runners to reach base.
Span led off the fourth with his second homer, a drive into the second deck in right field that put the Giants ahead 6-2. It was the first homer off Rusin in 39 2/3 innings this year.
Cueto forced in a run by walking Nolan Arenado with one out and the bases loaded in the third. But Cueto kept the score at 5-2 when Gerardo Parra hit a soft low liner to first baseman Belt, who doubled Arenado off first.
It didn't take long for the Giants to get to Rusin. Pence, who doubled home a run in the second, did it again in the third, and Belt followed with a two-run double to put the Giants ahead 5-1.
Cueto had allowed just two homers in 75 2/3 innings in his previous 10 starts before Trevor Story belted his 14th homer in the second, cutting the Giants' lead to 2-1 and ending Cueto's scoreless streak at 17 innings overall and 19 1/3 against the Rockies.
The home run came after center fielder Span threw out Parra, who tagged up and tried for third on a fly ball after opening the inning with a double.
After his run-scoring double in the second, Pence scored when Crawford reached base on an infield single to second baseman DJ LeMahieu. First baseman Mark Reynolds was unable to handle LeMahieu's low throw, and Pence scampered home on the play.
Back-to-back doubles by Belt and Crawford extended the Giants' lead to 7-2 in the seventh against Jason Motte, who made his second appearance for the Rockies and first at Coors Field. Pence's double off the fence in right-center in the eighth made it 8-2. Carlos Gonzalez hit his eighth homer in the bottom of that inning and his second in two days off left-hander Josh Osich.
NOTES: Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon extended his career-high streak of consecutive games reaching base to 24. ... Rockies C Nick Hundley (strained left oblique) is scheduled to play games in extended spring training Monday and Tuesday and begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Albuquerque. ... Rockies RHP Adam Ottavino is scheduled to throw his second batting practice Tuesday since undergoing Tommy John surgery May 7, 2015. Barring a setback, Ottavino will join High Class A Modesto on June 9 to begin a rehab assignment. ... Giants CF Denard Span returned to the lineup after being scratched from it Saturday and not playing due to a right hip bruise. ... Giants 2B Joe Panik was given a planned day off. ... Giants RHP Sergio Romo (flexor strain) is scheduled to make back-to-back appearances Sunday and Monday for Triple-A Sacramento before joining the Giants.