Giants at Rockies
Mac Williamson had a season debut to remember and hopes to prove he's worthy of staying with the big club when the San Francisco Giants visit the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Williamson drove in four runs - three with a homer - in Tuesday's 14-4 victory after belting nine home runs in 23 games with Triple-A Reno this season.
Williamson also helped San Francisco snap a six-game slide at Coors Field, where it is 3-18 in its last 21 contests. The 28-year-old, a third-round draft pick in 2012 by the Giants, was designated for assignment after suffering from concussion-like symptoms for most of last season and enduring a sub-par spring training. Colorado has lost three of its first four contests on its nine-game homestand - all against the National League West - and is 4-9 in the division this season. San Francisco's Derek Holland is expected to come off the injured list (finger) and make his seventh start of the season Wednesday opposite Jon Gray, who never has defeated the Giants.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Derek Holland (1-4, 5.34 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jon Gray (3-3, 4.22)
Holland endured his worst start of the season in his last outing as he allowed six runs, six hits and three walks in five innings of a 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees on April 27. The 32-year-old native of Ohio has registered 40 strikeouts in 32 frames this year but has yielded at least one home run in each start. Colorado's Nolan Arenado is 4-for-10 with two home runs, seven RBIs and five walks versus Holland, who is 1-3 with a 6.18 ERA in five starts against the Rockies - 1-1, 10.00 in two turns at Coors Field - after permitting four runs in six innings of a 4-0 loss on April 14 in San Francisco.
Gray won at Milwaukee 11-5 on Thursday despite allowing five runs for the third time in seven starts this season with nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old Oklahoman has struck out 43 batters and walked 18 while yielding 38 hits in 42 2/3 frames. Gray is 0-3 with a 5.18 ERA in seven games versus the Giants after permitting a home run to Kevin Pillar in a 1-0 loss at San Francisco on April 11.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants 3B Evan Longoria (.235) returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing three games with a shoulder injury and belted his fifth home run of the season among his two hits while scoring three times.
2. Colorado OF Raimel Tapia (.295) recorded three hits Tuesday - one game after belting a bases-loaded triple in a five-run eighth inning that led to Sunday's 8-7 victory over Arizona.
3. Williamson is batting .226 with 14 home runs and 37 RBIs in 121 major-league games.