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Ian Desmond's big night leads Colorado Rockies by San Francisco Giants

By Jack Etkin, The Sports Xchange
Colorado Rockies' Ian Desmond hits the ball. File photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI
Colorado Rockies' Ian Desmond hits the ball. File photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI | License Photo

DENVER -- Ian Desmond's first home run at Coors Field for Colorado came at an ideal time for the Rockies on Friday night.

His three-run shot with two outs in the fifth inning on a 1-2 pitch gave the Rockies their first lead and helped them beat the San Francisco Giants 10-8.

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Desmond, who tied a season high with four RBIs, also hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning when Colorado tacked on three runs.

"First inning, runners on second and third and a punchout on a pitch that was four feet outside," Desmond said. "Yesterday, I had another opportunity to drive in runs and didn't cash them in.

"Our pitchers have been carrying us all year long, and I just want to pick them up. That's all we want to do. To be able to deliver with two strikes, we needed that."

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Desmond's homer was one of five hits -- three by the Giants -- on a 93 degree night. The homer was Desmond's fifth of the season and went an estimated 373 feet, just far enough to get into the right-field stands.

Desmond connected on a 1-2 cutter from Jeff Samardzija, who gave the Giants a 4-1 lead when he lined a two-run homer to center in the top of the fifth.

"After how mine went, I assumed anything up in the air like that (would go)," Samardzija said. "You hit it down the line enough up in the air here, it's a homer."

Trevor Story hit his first career pinch-hit homer in the sixth inning and Carlos Gonzalez snapped a 0-for-27 skid with a single in the seventh when the Rockies made it 10-5.

DJ LeMahieu went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for his seventh career four-hit game. He is the first Rockies player to have consecutive four-hit games since Gonzalez on July 30-31, 2010.

Antonio Senzatela (9-2) plowed through six innings and allowed a career-high five runs and six hits. He gave up three homers for the first time in a game, yielding solo shots to Joe Panik in the first and Denard Span in the third.

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Samardzija hit a 2-0 fastball for his third career homer and first since May 15, 2013, also against Colorado while with the Chicago Cubs.

"I pitched six innings, I put the team in a bad situation, but they support me and put us back in the game," said Senzatella, who is tied for the major league lead in wins.

The Rockies improved to 8-1 against the Giants this season by beating them for the seventh straight time. It matches the Rockies' longest winning streak against any National League West opponent. They won seven straight from Arizona in 2004 and from Los Angeles in 2007.

Greg Holland, who blew his first save of the season Thursday, gave up a one-out triple in the ninth to pinch-hitter Gorkys Hernandez followed by Austin Slater's single. Holland walked pinch-hitter Buster Posey on four pitches but struck out Span and retired Panik on a grounder for his 24th save in 25 opportunities.

"We won the game and I did my job," Holland said. "Fortunately, we won last night, too, so I was excited about both experiences. You'd like them to be 1-2-3 innings and no drama, but it happens. It's part of the game."

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Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected by home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom in the bottom of the seventh. It was Bochy's first ejection this season and came after pitcher Jeff Samardzija (2-9) barked at Cederstrom after walking LeMahieu on six pitches to start the inning.

Samardzija said he thought Cederstrom saw the final pitch to LeMahieu in early but thought the ball came back and caught the plate.

"He was a professional, man," Samardzija said of Cederstrom. "I said what I had to say, and he didn't throw me out. He let me continue pitching. I tip my hat to him. He was great all night.

"There was just one pitch that I was unhappy with in that situation that I really needed."

Bochy said, "Finally make a pitch and get (LeMahieu) out, he's killing us, and we don't get the call. It's a big out, and they ended up putting up a crooked number that inning."

Samardzija allowed season highs of eight runs and 11 hits in six-plus innings. He threw 110 pitches and is 0-3 with a 9.33 ERA this season in three starts against Colorado.

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The Giants (26-43) have lost four straight games and 13 of their past 17 to fall a season-high 17 games below .500. The Rockies (43-26) kept their one-game lead over Arizona and Los Angeles with their third straight win and 10th in the past 14 games.

NOTES: Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (bruised ribs, left shoulder joint sprain) will face hitters for the first time Saturday in Arizona at the Giants' complex rather than Sunday at Coors Field as originally scheduled. ... Giants RHP Jeff Samardzija had gone 191 plate appearances between hitting home runs. ... Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (cancer) threw his second bullpen session, 20 pitches with the catcher positioned in front of the plate. ... Giants C Buster Posey, who left Thursday's game with an inflamed left ankle, walked as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and hopes to return to the lineup Saturday at first base. ... Giants INF Eduardo Nunez, who left Thursday's game with left hamstring tightness, is expected to be available to pinch hit Saturday. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon hit his season-high 10th triple and leads the majors in that category.

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