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Rockies Face Giants, Hope to Start Another Winning Streak
Preface
Former San Francisco pitcher Ty Blach will visit his old stomping grounds as the Colorado Rockies continue their three- game road series with the Giants on Saturday afternoon. Both brigades are looking to make some momentum, with the Rockies aiming to bounce back after a loss in the series opener.
Series Opener Recap
Friday’s series opener was not a pitching show, but the Giants came out on top with a 10- 5 victory thanks to a three- run homer from Thairo Estrada and five RBIs from Luis Matos. The win was bittersweet, though, as San Francisco learned that their center fielder, Jung Hoo Lee, is out for the season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
” I feel bad for him,” Giants director Bob Melvin said.” This is a significant time for us, so it’s disappointing for everybody. He was really a crucial guy for us this year.”
Despite Lee’s absence, his replacement, Matos, stepped up in a big way, driving in half of the team’s runs.
” It seems like he is one of those guys that just absolutely loves runners on base,” Melvin said.” He can get a little aggressive occasionally, but it’s working for him. He is really embraced guys on base, and that is been a problem for us.”
Pitching Matchup
Pitching-wise, Melvin decided to play it safe with 22- year-old left- hander Kyle Harrison( 3- 1,3.42 ERA), delaying his start to give him extra rest. Despite a shaky performance from replacement starter Mason Black, San Francisco secured their second straight win on Friday. Now they’ve Harrison, who preliminarily shut out the Rockies on four hits over seven innings on May 7, ready for the rematch.
Harrison is unbeaten in his past seven starts, with a 2- 0 record and a3.00 ERA. He is faced the Rockies twice in his career, posting a 1- 0 record with a2.25 ERA.
Harrison will go head- to- head with Blach( 1- 1,3.00 ERA), who pitched three innings of relief in last week’s game in Denver, allowing one run in the Rockies’ 5- 0 loss. Blach also made his second start of the season on Sunday against Texas, helping the Rockies to a 3- 1 win by limiting the defending champs to one run over five innings.
Blach’s Career and Return
Blach, a fifth-round pick by the Giants in 2012, pitched three-plus seasons for them, going 15- 19 with a4.56 ERA. Since then, he has gone 6- 7 with a6.09 ERA for the Baltimore Orioles and Rockies. As he looks to help the Rockies rebound from Friday’s loss, Blach will be making just his second career start against the Giants. In five former meetings against his old team, he is gone 0- 0 with a5.52 ERA. His lone start against them came last September, where he allowed four runs in five innings in a 9- 8 loss.
Conclusion
As the Rockies aim to recapture their winning momentum and the Giants look to keep their streak alive, Saturday’s game promises to be a compelling matchup. With crucial player performances and strategic opinions in play, fans can expect an instigative and competitive game as these two teams continue their series.
