Game #8: San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies (04/12/2016)

Following an impressive series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants flew eastward towards Denver, in preparation for their first series of the young season against another divisional opponent: the Colorado Rockies.

The first game of this season series would feature a pair of right-handed starting pitchers, including nine-year-veteran Jeff Samardzija, and developing twenty six-year-old Tyler Chatwood.

With the Giants sporting a division-leading record of 5-2, San Francisco’s odds of knocking off the subpar Colorado Rockies seemed to be high, regardless of the marvelous efforts of Colorado’s talented rookie shortstop, Trevor Story.

In the bottom of the second inning, however, Colorado became the first team to strike, as Gerardo Parra would trot home on a Nick Hundley double-play ball to give the Rockies a 1-0 advantage.

Nevertheless, San Francisco’s impressive early record of 5-0 in games in which their opponent had scored first, held true to form, as the Giants struck back in the top of the third.

After Hunter Pence connected for a two-out base hit into left-center field to score Denard Span, the contest would be tied at 1-1.

And in the top of the fifth inning, Pence would waste no time in cementing his impressive box score, blasting a two-run shot to left-center to propel the Giants to a slim edge of 3-1.

With the Giants now in the lead, the Rockies were grasping at straws to make some sort of break for themselves in an effort to trim the deficit.

Their chance came in the bottom of the fifth, when Angel Pagan booted an outfield fly, allowing Charlie Blackmon to score.

Thankfully for San Francisco, Pagan would recover in time to gun Carlos Gonzalez out at the plate, (courtesy of a flashy tag from catcher Trevor Brown) and the Giants would head to the sixth clinging to a 3-2 lead.

And in the top of the sixth, reserve catcher Trevor Brown struck once more.

With a drive into the left field bleachers, Brown’s timely two-run shot would propel the Giants’ lead to three.

Then, in the eighth inning, yet another two-run blast from the sizzling-hot bat of Trevor Brown would skyrocket San Francisco’s lead to 7-2 – the eventual final score of the contest.

Newly-acquired pitcher Jeff Samardzija would post a line of 8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks, and 111 pitches thrown during a rather robust performance this evening.

Yet somehow, Trevor Brown would receive unanimous votes for “Player of the Game”, collecting 4 crucial RBIs on 2 impressive four-baggers.

With Jake Peavy atop the hill, the Giants will look to clinch a series victory in tomorrow evening’s rematch.

FINAL SCORE: Giants 7, Rockies 2.