Rockies at Giants
The Colorado Rockies have been unable to break out of their funk and won't have Carlos Gonzalez around to try and help them do it when they visit the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. The Rockies, whose season-high losing streak reached six games with Monday's 9-2 defeat, placed Gonzalez on the 10-day disabled list because of a strained right shoulder.
"I tried to play through and it didn't feel too good," Gonzalez, who hasn't seen action since Thursday, told reporters. "I couldn't extend my swing. I was just barely trying, hoping for contact. That's not my game. I've got to be healthy." Gonzalez, a three-time All-Star and former National League batting champion, has struggled at the plate this season, hitting .221 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 68 games. San Francisco also entered the series with a five-game losing streak but used a 14-hit attack to snap it, with Buster Posey and Hunter Pence registering three apiece. Posey also drove in three runs, giving him five RBIs over his last two games and eight in his last five contests.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ROOT Rocky Mountain (Colorado), NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies Jeff Hoffman (4-1, 4.29 ERA) vs. Giants RH Matt Cain (3-7, 5.54)
Hoffman is coming off his worst start of the season, a 3 2/3-inning outing against Arizona on Wednesday in which he was tagged for nine runs and eight hits en route to his first loss of 2017. The 24-year-old rookie from Latham, N.Y., allowed one run in each of his previous four turns, winning three. Hoffman settled for a no-decision in his first career start against San Francisco on June 15 despite giving up one run over five frames.
Cain lost his sixth consecutive decision Thursday as he was battered for seven runs and 10 hits in four innings at Atlanta. The 32-year-old native of Alabama pitched well against the Rockies on June 17 but suffered a hard-luck loss after allowing two runs - one earned - in five frames at Colorado. The setback dropped Cain to 17-11 with one complete game and a 3.48 ERA in 40 career appearances (39 starts) against the Rockies.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rockies rookie RHP Antonio Senzatela has been moved to the bullpen in order to monitor his innings and worked two hitless frames Monday in his first major-league relief appearance.
2. San Francisco sent LHP Bryan Morris, who went 2-0 with a 6.43 ERA in 20 relief appearances this year, outright to Triple-A Sacramento after being designated for assignment Friday.
3. In addition to Gonzalez, Colorado placed LHP Tyler Anderson (knee) on the 10-day DL while activating Chad Qualls (back) and recalling fellow RHP Jairo Diaz from Triple-A Albuquerque, with the latter two combining to allow four runs (three earned) and six hits in 1 1/3 innings on Monday.