Rockies at Giants
San Francisco has won three World Series titles in the past five years, but that doesn’t make Monday’s home opener against the Colorado Rockies any less special. The Giants are expected to have a number of surprise guests before they raise the championship banner and attempt to snap a three-game losing skid.
The Giants have lost everyone from Hunter Pence (forearm) to Matt Cain (flexor strain) to early-season injuries, but they received some good news Sunday when third baseman Casey McGehee was diagnosed with a left knee bruise, which should only keep him out for a few days. First baseman Brandon Belt, who missed four games with a strained groin, returned to the starting lineup Sunday and went 1-for-4 in a 6-4 loss to San Diego. The Rockies have lost two in a row after opening with four straight wins and might be considering a change in closers after veteran LaTroy Hawkins blew his second straight save in Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Cubs. The Rockies have several in-house options, including Adam Ottavino, who has not allowed a run in his first four appearances.
TV: 4:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Eddie Butler (0-0, 3.18 ERA) vs. Giants RH Chris Heston (1-0, 0.00)
Butler delivered an encouraging outing in his season debut against Milwaukee on Wednesday, when he allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings. “His sinker was real good, got a lot of ground balls,” manager Walt Weiss told reporters. "I thought Eddie did an outstanding job, exactly what we'd hoped he would do.” The Rockies’ 2012 first-round draft was limited to three major-league starts a year ago while battling shoulder injuries, but showed enough in spring training to receive a spot in the rotation.
Heston earned his first major-league victory last Wednesday after holding Arizona to two unearned runs on three hits over six innings. The 27-year-old rookie was starting in place of Cain and could maintain a spot in the rotation with another solid outing against Colorado. Heston, who gained 25 pounds during the offseason to improve his velocity, impressed the Giants in spring training by posting a 2.40 ERA in five games (two starts).
WALK-OFFS
1. San Francisco has won 11 its last 13 home openers, including five in a row.
2. Colorado placed RHP John Axford on the medical emergency list (his two-year-old son was bitten by a rattlesnake last month in Arizona) and promoted RHP Scott Oberg from Triple-A Albuquerque.
3. The Giants are starting a rookie pitcher in their home opener for the first time since Alan Fowlkes got the nod in 1982.