As soon as it looked like the Giants would continue to dominate on the road, their seven-game road winning streak was snapped. The thin air might be to blame for Pat Misch and the rest of the bullpen getting knocked around. In the first game of the series at Colorado, the Giants lost 10-5.
Still in search of his first Major League win, Misch lasted just four innings. He was roughed in the second inning, giving up four runs to put the Giants in a deep hole. His day came to end after seven hits, four earned runs, and three strikeouts in four innings of work. Vinnie Chulk attempted to keep the deficit at three after San Francisco got on the board with a run in the top of the fifth inning, but gave up a three-run homer to Todd Helton in the bottom of the frame. He would give up another run in the sixth inning to end his day with four earned runs on four hits in two innings. Alex Hinshaw was also victimized by the longball, giving up a two-run shot to Garrett Atkins in the seventh inning, giving the Rockies a solid 10-2 lead. Billy Sadler was perfect in the eighth inning.
The offense could not get the early lead they had been used to lately, and it seemed to weaken their confidence at the plate. They began scoring little by little in the fifth inning, but had to play from behind. Third baseman Jose Castillo was three-for-five with two singles and a double, he also scored two of the five San Francisco runs. John Bowker had a pinch-hit RBI triple in the eighth inning, and would also score, giving the Giants their only multi-run inning of the game. Another big hit came off the bench as Brian Horwitz drove a solo-shot out of the park in the ninth inning, but the late offensive outburst was too little, too late.
With Tim Lincecum on the mound for tonight’s second game, San Francisco might be ready to start a new streak. He will be looking to get his ninth win of the season against Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez. The game is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
