DENVER — The Rockies are in a funk right now, one that has them in danger of giving up a wild card spot that has seemed a lock all season long. Enter the Giants.
A misplay in the outfield opened the door for the Rockies to get a 4-3 walk-off win. Charlie Blackmon kicked off the ninth with a high pop-up to left center. The outfielders were playing on the track, and Mac Williamson dropped the ball as he made a diving attempt. Two walks — one a smart intentional pass for Nolan Arenado — loaded the bases and a walk of Carlos Gonzalez ended the game.
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The Giants have lost nine straight games at Coors Field, the last two via a walk-off. They haven’t won here since Sept. 6 of last season. That’s no way to go through life. Anyway, here are five things to know …
—- Joe Panik hit one off the second deck facing in the first and Denard Span hit the exact same shot two innings later. Both players reached double-digit homers, giving the Giants five players with ten or more. Panik needs one more to set a new career-high.
—- Span and Panik, hitting first and second, combined for six hits. The rest of the Giants combined for one.
—- Pablo Sandoval went 0-for-4. He is hitless in his last 33 at-bats. That is the longest streak by a Giant since Johnnie LeMaster made 37 consecutive outs in 1984.
San Francisco Giants
—- Chris Stratton was charged with three runs on eight hits in just four innings, but he actually did a decent job while starting at Coors for the first time. Stratton got Gerardo Parra to ground out with the bases loaded in the fourth, keeping the Giants in the game.
—- Blackmon took Stratton deep for his 33rd — seriously, 33rd — homer. Blackmon is on pace to score 143 runs. He’s the MVP candidate nobody talks about.