Giants Fall to Rockies in Final Game of Series

DENVER — This weekend’s series finale at Coors Field saw the lead change only in the final game, which is quite rare for a park known for its unpredictable nature.

Unfortunately for the Giants, that shift didn’t end well for them.

Kyle Karros delivered a pivotal three-run homer in the eighth inning. This swing flipped the script from a manageable Giants’ two-run lead to a deficit at 7-6. Once again, the Giants stumbled against the struggling Rockies, who sit two positions lower than them in the National League.

The home run soared 471 feet to the left field seats, highlighting a troubling trend: it was the second time this series that Colorado had scored on the Giants’ bullpen.

Going up against Dylan Smith, the seventh reliever brought in by manager Tony Vitello in just two days, the Giants saw their hopes fade. Smith, unfortunately, was the first to falter among the recent call-ups.

In his brief stint, Smith struck out Hunter Goodman, but then allowed TJ Rumfield to hit a double down the left-field line. From there, things devolved. Smith then hit Troy Johnston with a pitch and soon found himself behind 3-1 against Kalos, who was poised for his moment.

Prior to Smith’s appearance, the bullpen had performed admirably, limiting Colorado to just one run over seven innings in the preceding games. However, the tide turned, and heads were down as they prepared for flights back to San Francisco.

On the offensive side, Rafael Devers showcased his power with two home runs, Casey Schmidt hit his 17th of the season, and Drew Gilbert tied his career-high with four hits—just three home runs shy of a cycle.

But it all unraveled in the eighth inning.

Vitello had some reservations about Gilbert’s performance during the previous loss to the Diamondbacks. The coach felt allowing Gilbert to fly out in the ninth during that 5-4 defeat impacted his mindset for the following day, prompting him to bench the former Tennessee star.

“This game gets played over and over,” Vitello said. “The best players can regroup and focus on the next pitch.”

On returning to the lineup, Gilbert didn’t disappoint, hitting a towering home run that cleared the right field seats and went deep into the bullpen. He ended the day with a perfect 4-for-4 performance in just his second four-hit game.

The impressive show from Devers and Schmidt also marked a milestone, making them the first duo from the Giants to reach at least 17 homers in the first 90 games since the days of Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent in 2000.

What It Means

This loss marks the tenth for the Giants in Tyler Marr’s 14 starts.

Smith took the loss, but Mahle’s struggles didn’t help, as he was unable to complete five innings in this consecutive start, giving up four runs on eight hits.

Who Is Hot

Gilbert has certainly found his rhythm against the Rockies. Across 97 games versus other teams, he managed only 49 hits from 248 at-bats, which amounts to a .197 average. In contrast, in just 12 games against Colorado, he boasts a .480 average with 12 hits out of 25 and seven extra-base hits.

Vitello also made the decision to place Gilbert against left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino, resulting in a two-strike hit—his first against lefties this season.

Who Is Not?

Mahle’s latest outing couldn’t have started worse. He faced a pitch clock violation before even throwing a pitch, which led him into a 1-0 disadvantage against Jake McCarthy, who then tripled on the first pitch.

This echoed Mahle’s previous start, which began with a homer against the leadoff batter, marking a consistent struggle. Since a promising return to the rotation, the pitcher has not made it past the fifth inning in two starts, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in 8 2/3 innings, raising his season ERA to 5.70.

Mahle also made a perplexing decision during the game, attempting a pickoff at first with two strikes and a runner on third. The throw sailed past Devers, gifting the Rockies their second run in the first inning.

To the Next

The Giants will head home to continue their 13-game stretch as the All-Star break approaches. They will face Kevin Guzman (4-7, 4.19) for three games starting Monday, with the first pitch set for 6:45 PM Pacific against Tyler Rodgers and the Blue Jays.