Giants drop season finale to Rockies, bid Jeremy Affeldt goodbye

SAN FRANCISCO _ A canceled television program seldom gets to deliver a satisfying send-off episode. And no, the Giants hadn’t intended to stop playing baseball with Sunday’s regular-season finale.tmpplchld But a sellout crowd enjoyed one heck of a farewell show in a 7-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park.tmpplchld For eight innings, anyway. The Rockies scored seven runs in the ninth as George Kontos, Cody Hall and Yusmeiro Petit _ the major league record-setting 11th pitcher used by one team in a nine-inning game _ had trouble stemming the rally.tmpplchld It wasn’t the ending the Giants wanted. Then again, the fans filled the ballpark already aware that the odd-year curse had exacted its toll.tmpplchld The Giants wrapped up more than an 84-76 season _ the 14th winning campaign out of 19 since Brian Sabean ascended to the head of baseball operations. They sent Jeremy Affeldt into retirement in a misty eyed pregame ceremony that began with injured fan Bryan Stow introducing the three-time World Series champion. Affeldt’s voice cracked with emotion when he spoke of Matt Cain and Buster Posey, who had become closer than just teammates.tmpplchld Then Cain took the mound and set an encouraging tone for 2016, tossing five shutout innings and waving his cap to acknowledge an ovation.tmpplchld The rest of the afternoon was playing out precisely to Bruce Bochy’s tight script. Affeldt began the sixth, threw four pitches and induced a pair of fly outs including one from Carlos Gonzalez on the last pitch of his career. (Gonzalez was just 4-for-20 with no home runs in his career against Affeldt. He’s Josh Osich’s problem to solve now.)tmpplchld Kelby Tomlinson collected two more hits to raise his rookie average over .300. Bochy gave shortstop Brandon Crawford one more ovation _ and an opportunity to add to his career-best 21 homers and 84 RBIs _ with a pinch hitting appearance with the bases loaded. Crawford grounded out, but is a cinch to be a Gold Glove finalist.tmpplchld Sergio Romo, who cut down his home runs allowed from nine to three in an under recognized season, made his career-best 70th appearance and also exited to a standing ovation.tmpplchld Third baseman and Willie Mac Award winner Matt Duffy, who had one of the finest seasons by a Giants rookie in franchise history, finished at .295 but singled to knock in a run in the first inning and finished with 77 RBIs, the fourth most by a Giants rookie in the San Francisco era and the most since Dave Kingman drove in 83 in 1972. Duffy also ended the season with 118 consecutive games played, the longest streak among NL players.tmpplchld Posey grounded out with the bases loaded to end the game and the season. But he knocked in a run earlier and finished with credentials that will land him on most if not all MVP ballots: .318 average, 19 home runs, 95 RBIs.tmpplchld The players thoroughly enjoyed themselves, too. Someone in the clubhouse _ rumored to be Crawford _ selected fresh at-bat and warm-up music for all the players. Posey stepped to the plate to the “Watch Me Nae Nae” song, then got “I’m the Man” his next time up. And in the ninth, Kontos took the mound to “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred.tmpplchld He could not make it to the handshake line. Corey Dickerson hit a tying, three-run home run and the inning devolved from there. It put a damper on an otherwise terrific season for Kontos, whose ERA went from 1.97 to 2.33.tmpplchld The day’s highlight was the send-off for Affeldt, a three-time World Series champion and Game 7 winner last October in Kansas City whose 22 consecutive scoreless postseason appearances rank behind the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera for the longest in major league history.tmpplchld The oft-injured left-hander, a danger more to himself with sharp implements than others, received plenty of ribbing. Bochy chided Affeldt for his hitting, calling his at-bats “awful.”tmpplchld In his 15-minute speech, though, Affeldt knocked it out of the park.tmpplchld ___tmpplchld (c)2015 San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)tmpplchld Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.comtmpplchld Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tmpplchld