Giants combine with Rockies to set MLB record in extra-inning defeat

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants nearly found a way to keep Bruce Bochy around. He can't retire if the season never ends. 

It seemed to be heading that way as a Tuesday game spilled into Wednesday, with the Giants and Rockies going 16 innings in a game that reminded everyone why MLB is changing its September roster rules next season. An MLB-record 25 pitchers were used before the Rockies prevailed 8-5

The Giants used 13 pitchers on a night when their starter, Madison Bumgarner, went seven innings. The 12th, Dereck Rodriguez, gave up a three-run Charlie Blackmon homer to the empty bleachers. For the second time in eight days, the Giants tied the MLB record for pitchers used in a game. 

“It doesn’t happen often,” Bochy said a half-hour past midnight. “I guess it’s good it’s September. We had plenty of pitching there. The guys battled hard, they really did. It’s baseball and we’re at the end of a long year. To play a long game like that, the way they battled, I’m good with that.”

This game wasn't without highlights for the Giants. Bumgarner and Buster Posey went deep in the same game for the third time, with Posey getting his first homer at Oracle Park this season. Evan Longoria later homered, giving the Giants three players with 20-plus homers for the first time since 2006. 

[RELATED: Torre offers Bochy retirement advice during final homestand]

But it was hard to enjoy any of that after a loss that lasted five hours and 31 minutes.

“I don’t particularly enjoy playing 16 innings,” Bumgarner said.

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