Rockies at Giants
After a shaky first week, the San Francisco Giants slowly are showing signs of rounding into form. San Francisco’s beleaguered bullpen looks to take another step forward Thursday as the Giants begin a four-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies, who dropped two of three against San Diego and were shut out for the first time this season on Wednesday.
San Francisco lost five of its first seven games but took two of three from Arizona and received an encouraging effort from its bullpen in Wednesday’s 6-2 victory. Cory Gearrin, George Kontos, Derek Law and Hunter Strickland combined to allow one run over four innings of relief while struggling left fielder Jarrett Parker offered reason for optimism with two hits and two RBIs. Colorado’s bullpen ranks among the best in the major leagues, but hitters such as DJ LeMahieu (.171), Carlos Gonzalez (.200) and Charlie Blackmon (.256) are off to surprisingly slow starts. “They’re fine,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters. “These guys are confident players. They all believe in themselves and in each other. They believe in this team. This is a long haul. I think there’s nothing to worry about.”
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), NBC Sports Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (0-0, 5.79 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 3.00)
Gray bounced back from a rough season debut against Milwaukee by holding the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings on Saturday. The 25-year-old, who had eight inches of his hair trimmed for charity on Tuesday, has gone 0-1 with a 2.92 ERA in two career starts against the Giants - both in San Francisco last season. Gray owns a 7-3 career record at home but has struggled at times on the road, where he’s 3-9 with a 4.74 ERA in 20 starts.
Bumgarner has been as good as advertised through his first two starts but was the hard-luck loser on Saturday, when he allowed two runs over eight frames in a 2-1 setback against San Diego. The four-time All-Star belted two home runs on Opening Day and has hit 13 in his last 202 at-bats. Gonzalez is 18-for-56 with five homers and 10 RBIs against Bumgarner, who is 12-6 with a 2.99 ERA in 25 career starts against the Rockies - including 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three outings last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado 3B Nolan Arenado is batting .303 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 32 games at AT&T Park.
2. The Giants finalized a minor-league contract with OF Melvin Upton Jr., who is expected to report to Triple-A Sacramento next week.
3. Rockies RHP Chad Qualls (forearm) is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Albuquerque.