Rockies at Giants
San Francisco's Matt Duffy tries to continue his hot hitting at home when the Giants face the Colorado Rockies on Sunday in the finale of their four-game series. Duffy is hitting .379 at AT&T Park compared to .140 on the road and added a flare for the dramatic Saturday when his two-out RBI double in the 13th inning gave San Francisco a 2-1 victory - its fifth win in the last seven games.
The Giants are also receiving solid production from Brandon Belt (.317, four home runs, 21 RBIs), whose .443 on-base percentage is among the highest in baseball as he's reached base in 15 straight games and has drawn 17 walks in his last 14 contests. Colorado is 5-4 on its 10-game road trip and continues to receive solid pitching away from the unfriendly confines of Coors Field as its 3.57 road ERA attests compared to its 5.13 overall number. Jeff Samardzija rides his first career three-game winning streak in his initial season with San Francisco and opposes Eddie Butler, who makes his third start since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. It would benefit each team more than usual if its starter when deep into Sunday's game as the clubs used six relievers apiece Saturday.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Eddie Butler (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (4-1, 3.32)
Butler retired the first 11 Padres before allowing five runs and four hits (two home runs) in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-3 loss Tuesday. "I felt strong and I strung together a lot of good pitches, but four or five changed the outcome of the game," the 25-year-old Virginian told reporters. "I thought we executed the game plan ... But I didn't finish it." Butler is 4-12 with a 6.10 ERA in 21 career games (20 starts), but 2-0, 3.18 in two turns versus San Francisco - both in April 2015.
Samardzija allowed one run and three hits while striking out nine in eight innings of a 3-1 victory in Cincinnati on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Indiana native, who averages 105 pitches after throwing 115 versus the Reds, lowered his WHIP to 1.13. Samardzija is 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA in eight games (four starts) against Colorado after yielding two runs in eight innings of a 7-2 victory at Coors Field on April 12, striking out rookie phenom Trevor Story three times.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ten of Duffy's 13 multi-hit games this season have come at home.
2. Story (.273, 11 home runs, 24 RBIs) went 2-for-6 on Saturday and snapped a string of 24 games with a strikeout. Story has fanned 45 times this season, tied for the most in the majors with Detroit's Justin Upton.
3. Giants SS Brandon Crawford went 2-for-5 on Saturday and is 5-for-14 with a home run and five RBIs in the series.