Giants Clip Rockies, Sweep Series

Marco Luciano of the Giants turning a double play against the Rockies

Photo by Kavin Mistry/Getty Images

May 19, 2024

Giants 4, Rockies 1

SAN FRANCISCO (May 19) — Runs in the fifth and sixth inning gave the San Francisco Giants all the runs they needed en route to a 4–1 victory over the Colorado Rockies Sunday afternoon before 34,766 at Oracle Park. The win gave the Giants a three-game sweep over the Rockies, who entered the series on a seven-game winning streak.

Rockies – Giants Game Summary

Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon opened the scoring with a two-out solo home run in the top of the first off Giants starter Jordan Hicks. The lead held until the bottom of the fifth, when first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. lined a one-out RBI single to right off Rockies starter Dakota Hudson with runners on the corners. Later in the inning, also with runners on the corners, third baseman Matt Chapman beat out a two-out end-of-the-bat dribbler, giving the Giants a 2–1 lead. It became a 3–1 game when center fielder Luis Matos, up next, hit a grounder to third that somehow got under McMahon’s glove, scoring catcher Curt Casali from second. The Giants completed the scoring in the bottom of the sixth. They extended their lead to 4–1 with a leadoff homer to center by left fielder Heliot Ramos.

What Went Right for the Rockies

Highlight-reel Defensive Plays

Jake Cave made a leaping catch against the wall to rob Giants leadoff man Jorge Soler of an extra-base hit in the bottom of the first. In Soler’s next at-bat, he ripped a hot smash down the third-base line. McMahon made a sensational diving stop, got up, pivoted, and fired to first in time to nab Soler.

Late-inning Relief

Tyler Kinley and Jalen Beeks each pitched an inning of scoreless relief to keep the Rockies in the game.

What Went Wrong for the Rockies

Lack of Offensive Production

After McMahon’s first-inning homer, the Rockies did not produce another baserunner until the fifth. Another dry spell followed, as the Rockies did not reach base again until a one-out walk in the eighth.

Missed Chances

The Rockies squandered a golden opportunity to pad their lead in the top of the fifth. A one-out single by Cave, followed by a Jordan Beck double, put two runners in scoring position. However, Hunter Goodman struck out, and after a Jacob Stallings walk, Charlie Blackmon popped up to the shortstop. The Giants took the lead in the bottom half of that very inning.

“During the seven-game winning streak,” Rockies manager Bud Black stated, “we got a lot of clutch hits. We got big hits, we got two out hits, we kept innings going. Overall this season, hitting with runners in scoring position has been frustrating for us. Today in the fifth and the eighth, we had chances, (but) couldn’t get the big hit.” He concluded with, “We got to be a little bit more consistent in that regard to win ballgames.”

Tough-luck & Uncharacteristic Error

McMahon made a rare error in the fateful bottom of the fifth, allowing the Giants to score their third run. But that did not shake Hudson’s faith in him. “It’s a tough thing to happen,” Hudson said. “But if I’m seeing the ball roll his way, I’d take that a million times out of a million. So that was one of those weird things where he’s trying to rush into third, save me that run, and get us out of that inning there. It just died under his glove.”

Quick Hits

McMahon’s homer extended his current on-base streak to 13 games. It is tied for the longest such streak by a Rockie this season, matching Ezequiel Tovar, who did so from March 29 to April 12. … The Rockies have now lost eight consecutive games at Oracle Park. They have been swept five times so far in 2024.

This was the Giants’ first sweep of the year. It was their ninth sweep of the Rockies since 2021, the most by any team in the majors against a single opponent in that span. … Chapman, with his first three trips to the plate, extended his streak to 11 straight plate appearances of reaching base. The last Giant to even reach base in 10 straight appearances was Brandon Belt, who reached in 11 straight appearances between August 22 and 25 of 2020. … Chapman’s RBI single in the fifth extended his streak to seven straight at-bats with a hit. The last Giant to do so was Brandon Crawford between July 9 and 11, 2021.

Looking Ahead

Hicks (4–1) got the win, with Hudson (1–7) taking the loss. Camilo Doval pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save of the season in as many opportunities.

The Giants (23–25) and Rockies (15–31) are both off Monday. On Tuesday, they will both play on the road. The Giants will be in Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Pirates. Left-hander Martin Perez (1–3, 4.86 ERA) will take the hill for the Pirates against Giants right-hander Logan Webb (4–4, 3.03 ERA). First pitch will be at 3:40 pm Pacific. The Rockies will head across the Bay Bridge for a three-gamer against the Oakland Athletics. It will be a matchup of right-handed starting pitchers, Cal Quantrill (3–3, 3.66 ERA) for the Rockies and Aaron Brooks (0–1, 3.86 ERA) for the Athletics. First pitch will be at 6:40 pm Pacific/7:40 pm Mountain.