Zac Veen splashed a home run into the San Francisco Bay, Kyle Freeland threw eight innings of four-hit ball, and the Colorado Rockies opened a three-game road series with a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
Troy Johnston chipped in with an RBI triple for the Rockies, who have won at least three straight for just the fourth time this season.
Johnston produced the game’s first run with his fourth-inning triple against Giants starter Landen Roupp (7-12). TJ Rumfield, who had singled with two out, scored the run.
Bryce Eldridge got the Giants even in the last of the fourth with a leadoff homer, his 13th of the season, before the Rockies regained the advantage for good on a double by Brett Sullivan and two infield outs in the fifth. Mickey Moniak got the RBI on a grounder to shortstop.
Veen’s homer, his second in two starts since being promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque, followed a one-out walk to Connor Norby in the sixth. The blast sailed well over the right field wall and into the water.
After picking off Osleivis Basabe to end the fourth inning, Freeland (4-10) retired 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. The only baserunner — a one-out walk drawn by Andrew Knizner in the fifth — was erased on a Christian Koss double play grounder.
Freeland walked one and struck out two in his eight innings. He faced just two batters with runners in scoring position all night.
Brennan Bernardino worked the ninth, allowing a run on a triple by Jonah Cox and a double by Rafael Devers.
Roupp was pulled after 5 2/3 innings, charged with four runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out five.
The Rockies finished with just six hits, but three for extra bases. One of the singles — by Sullivan in the ninth — helped produce the game’s final run. Willi Castro got the RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Basabe had a pair of singles for the Giants, who fell to 2-5 on a nine-game homestand despite out-hitting the visitors 7-6.
