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Rockies win 4th straight over Giants
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DENVER (AP) — Pinch-hitter Rafael Ynoa snapped a sixth-inning tie with an RBI double, Eddie Butler was backed by stellar defense over six shaky innings and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4 on Friday night.

Charlie Blackmon added a solo homer and DJ LeMahieu drove in two runs as Colorado beat the defending World Series champions for a fourth straight time this season. The Rockies swept a three-game series last week in which they limited the Giants to three runs. San Francisco matched that total by the third inning.

Butler (2-1) labored most of the way with only one clean inning. He allowed four runs, but worked his way out of trouble thanks to some nifty fielding, especially from Nolan Arenado and Blackmon.

Chris Heston (2-2) gave up six runs over 5 1-3 innings in his first appearance at Coors Field, raising his ERA from 0.87 to 2.77. Heston had yielded two earned runs in his past three starts.

Ynoa gave the Rockies a 5-4 lead when he hit a double to left that brought home LeMahieu, who tied the game with a double earlier in the inning. Corey Dickerson added an RBI single.

Colorado’s bullpen made the lead hold up — with some anxious moments. Boone Logan struck out Brandon Crawford looking to end the eighth with a runner on third. Giants manager Bruce Bochy argued the call and was ejected after a few words with plate umpire John Tumpane.

Adam Ottavino pitched the ninth for his third save.

Arenado turned in two more sensational plays against the Giants. The Gold Glove third baseman ranged far to his left to snare a chopper in the seventh, spun around and threw out Gregor Blanco.

In the fourth, Arenado dove to his right to stop a grounder with runners on first and second and no outs. He scrambled to his feet, stepped on third base and fired to first to get Casey McGehee by a step.

It neutralized a potential big inning.

Arenado made quite a grab in San Francisco a week ago while falling over the tarp and rail in foul territory along the left-field line.

Not to be outdone, Blackmon turned in quite a catch to end the third inning, when he caught a ball in right-center, turned and threw a strike to first base that doubled up Angel Pagan, who figured the ball was headed for the gap.

Blackmon then led off the bottom of the inning with a homer to straightaway center.

Justin Maxwell hit a two-run homer in the second for San Francisco.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: OF Hunter Pence (broken left arm) hit off a tee in the cage before the game. “Was it 100 percent? No, but he was swinging,” Bochy said. ... RHP Matt Cain (strained flexor tendon) is going to throw Tuesday. ... RHP Jake Peavy (strained back) played catch. Bochy said there’s no schedule for when Peavy will throw off a mound. ... OF Nori Aoki didn’t start for the first time this season.

Rockies: SS Troy Tulowitzki understands why manager Walt Weiss kept him out even if he loathes days off. “They want to keep me healthy for the long haul,” said Tulowitzki, who popped out as a pinch hitter in the seventh.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Tim Hudson (0-2, 3.93 ERA) seeks his first career win at Coors Field. He’s 0-2 with a 7.29 ERA in eight starts in the Mile High City.

Rockies: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (0-1, 31.50) looks to get back on track in his second start of the season. He’s 6-1 with a 3.43 ERA in 10 starts against the Giants at Coors Field.