Giants at Rockies (Game 1)
The San Francisco Giants have a bit of pep in their step after winning three straight road series and eight of 10 games overall, but the club has often stumbled when visiting the Colorado Rockies. The Giants have lost 19 of their last 22 games at Coors Field entering Monday's doubleheader against the Rockies.
Brandon Belt highlighted his second multi-hit performance in three games by launching a solo homer in San Francisco's 8-3 win over Milwaukee on Sunday. The 31-year-old is 5-for-13 versus Game 1 starter German Marquez, although he is just 5-for-25 with six strikeouts in the season series versus Colorado. While the Giants featured a six-run seventh inning on Sunday, the Rockies plated half a dozen in the fifth in their 10-9 win over Cincinnati. Ryan McMahon went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the series finale to increase his hit total to 12 in his last nine games, although he is 0-for-18 with 12 strikeouts versus San Francisco this year.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (6-7, 4.01 ERA) vs. Rockies RH German Marquez (8-4, 4.45)
Samardzija entered the All-Star break on a surge, improving to 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in his last two outings after scattering four hits over seven innings in a 1-0 win versus St. Louis on July 7. The 34-year-old has split a pair of decisions against Colorado this season, allowing three hits over seven strong frames in a 1-0 win on April 11 before surrendering five runs in a 6-3 setback on June 26. Daniel Murphy (10-for-22) and Nolan Arenado (13-for-38) have gotten their licks in on Samardzija, who owns a 5-7 mark with a 3.97 ERA in 19 career appearances versus the Rockies
Marquez sustained his first loss in over one month on July 7 after allowing five runs on six hits in as many innings of a 5-3 setback at Arizona. The 24-year-old Venezuelan will look to get back on track versus San Francisco, against which he has won both starts this season and posted a 1.29 ERA while limiting the Giants to a .167 batting average. Brandon Crawford (6-for-17) and Buster Posey (3-for-10, homer) have fared well versus Marquez, who owns a 2-3 record with a 4.61 ERA in seven career starts against San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. Monday's doubleheader is a result of the teams' game on May 8 being postponed by rain.
2. San Francisco 2B-SS Donovan Solano drove in a pair of runs on Sunday and is 4-for-10 with two RBIs against Colorado this season.
3. Rockies RF Charlie Blackmon is just 8-for-40 with 14 strikeouts versus the Giants this season.