DENVER _ They received the quality start they needed at Coors Field. They found the timely home run that's evaded them for much of the season.
But when it came time to secure the type of win that seems impossible to lock up, the bullpen collapsed and the Giants lost to the Rockies, 6-2.
Rookie Dereck Rodriguez turned in another excellent start and center fielder Gorkys Hernandez hit a late tie-breaking home run, but set-up man Reyes Moronta coughed up the lead in a five-run seventh and the Giants have now dropped 17 of their last 19 games at Coors Field.
Armed with a 2-1 lead in the seventh, Moronta entered in relief of Rodriguez and served up a game-tying home run to pinch-hitter Ryan McMahon. Though Moronta had allowed more than one earned run in an outing just once this season, he loaded the bases and was pulled in favor of Ty Blach, who allowed a bases-clearing triple to Carlos Gonzalez that gave the Rockies their first lead.
Moronta was charged with four earned runs on a night when Rodriguez allowed just one and for the second straight day, the Giants failed to finish off a Rockies team that will at least maintain a { game cushion over the Dodgers in the National League West.
Rodriguez continued his stellar second half, throwing six innings of one-run ball to record his seventh quality start in eight outings since the All-Star break. Despite allowing three runs for the first time since June 19 in his last outing, Rodriguez found a way to regain his command in the hitter-friendly Coors Field confines.
The rookie right-hander was saddled with a no-decision, but he left in line for the win thanks to a 430-foot seventh inning blast from Hernandez. Hernandez regained his role as the Giants primary center fielder after rookie Steven Duggar suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last week and has now hit safely in five of his last six games.
After hitting his seventh homer of the year against the Rockies, Hernandez is now in a three-way tie with former Giants right fielder Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria for the team lead with 15 home runs.
While Rockies starter German Marquez looked like the more dominant pitcher for much of the night, Rodriguez pitched around baserunners in all but one inning and lowered his season ERA to 2.41 by shutting down the first-place Rockies.
Though Rodriguez did allow a solo home run to left fielder David Dahl in the bottom of the second, he became the rare Giants starter to pitch with an early lead.
After starting Hunter Pence in left and Austin Slater in right Monday, manager Bruce Bochy once again went with a combination of a veteran and rookie in the corners Tuesday. Bochy inserted Gregor Blanco into the leadoff spot and sent him out to right field while recent call-up Chris Shaw started in left a day after slugging his first career home run.
Blanco opened the game in the first with a single and a stolen base and scored on a grounder down the left field line from second baseman Joe Panik. Early offense was a positive sign against Marquez, who had allowed four earned runs in his last 22 innings entering Tuesday's game, but it didn't foreshadow an offensive breakthrough.
