Giants beat Rockies, split series

DENVER The Giants are tenuously tethered to contention. But when Madison Bumgarner pitches and Buster Posey hits a home run, so much appears under their control.

Posey hit his 100th career homer and scored three runs and Bumgarner did well to minimize two bases-loaded, no-out situations while becoming the major leagues’ third 17-game winner as the Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 7-4 at Coors Field on Sunday afternoon.

Matt Duffy hit a tiebreaking, two-run triple and Brandon Crawford contributed a two-run double as part of the Giants’ five-run fifth inning. The bullpen shined while recording the final nine outs, and the Giants split the four-game series here.

Posey had gone 115 at-bats since his previous home run Aug. 3, a power loss no doubt influenced by a heavier workload behind the plate in recent weeks. But his swing looked refreshed Sunday as he doubled off the right field wall and scored in the second inning. His shot leading off the fourth tied the score and was his 17th homer of the year.

He became just the second player in franchise history to hit 100 home runs primarily as a catcher; Tom Haller hit 107 home runs from 1961-67.

Bumgarner (17-7) has a shot at his own slice of Giants history. He’s one victory away from matching his career high. And with five more starts possible, he is three wins away from becoming the Giants’ first 20-game winner since Bill Swift and John Burkett in 1993.

Bumgarner had to work hard just to last long enough to qualify for the decision. He avoided a total calamity in the first inning, after the Rockies loaded the bases on two singles and a walk following a close 3-2 pitch on Nolan Arenado. The Rockies scored two runs on a force out at second base and a sacrifice fly.

The Rockies threatened again in the fifth, when they started the inning by finding holes with four consecutive singles. Cristhian Adames hit a chopper through the middle to score two and cut the Giants’ lead to three runs.

The last man the Giants wanted to see was due up next Arenado, who had homered in six consecutive games and whose nine home runs against the Giants this season already ranked as the most by an opponent since Dale Murphy hit 11 against them in 1983.

It was the confrontation of the game, and Bumgarner won it. He missed with a curveball but got Arenado to swing through a slider and then tap the next one back to the mound. Bumgarner fired to second base and the Giants were able to turn a 1-4-3 double play when Arenado got caught between steps as he tried to stretch for the base.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy leaned on Bumgarner for one more inning. He doubled in the sixth and then pitched around two singles to put up one more scoreless frame.

The Giants bullpen protected Bumgarner’s decision. Hunter Strickland had as stress-free an inning allowable at Coors Field, retiring three batters including Arenado on eight pitches. Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo got their matchup outs in the eighth, and Santiago Casilla recorded his 32nd save in 37 chances.

Marlon Byrd interrupted a 1-for-18 slump with a four-hit game.

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