Giants drop Game 2 to Rockies 5-3

DENVER — Daniel Descalso homered and drove in three runs and the Colorado Rockies snapped the San Francisco Giants' eight-game winning streak, taking the second game of a rain-soaked doubleheader 5-3 on Saturday night.

Descalso had a run-scoring groundout in the fourth and added a two-run homer in the sixth off spot starter Yusmeiro Petit (1-1).

Descalso's homer off a 79 mph changeup put Colorado ahead 4-2, marking the first time the Giants trailed by more than a run since May 9.

San Francisco, which won the opener 10-8 behind Brandon Crawford's three RBIs, was seeking its first nine-game streak since winning 10 in a row in May 2004.

David Hale (1-0), acquired from Atlanta in the offseason but plagued by a left oblique strain in spring training, allowed three runs — two earned — over 6 2/3 innings in his Rockies debut.

John Axford pitched the ninth for his sixth save in as many chances. Gregor Blanco singled and stole second, but was thrown out by center fielder Charlie Blackmon when he failed to slide while trying to advance on Angel Pagan's fly out. Hunter Pence grounded into a fielder's choice to end it.

Petit allowed four earned runs on seven hits over six innings.

After Crawford scored on a wild pitch in the second, Brandon Barnes tied it with an RBI single in the fourth and Descalso added a run-scoring groundout to give Colorado a 2-1 lead.

The Giants pulled to 4-3 in the seventh when Blanco scored from third on right fielder Carlos Gonzalez's throwing error. But the Rockies restored their two-run cushion on Ben Paulsen's RBI single off Jeremy Affeldt in the bottom half.

Showers pushed back the opener 2 hours, 15 minutes and the start of the nightcap — a makeup of an April 26 rainout — also was delayed, this time for 58 minutes by lightning and thunderstorms.

These were the seventh and eighth games this season that were delayed or postponed by rain at normally bone-dry Coors Field.

All 10 of the Giants' runs in the opener came with two outs.

'It's awesome,' said right-hander Chris Heston (4-3), who picked up the win in the opener despite allowing eight hits, including three homers, and six earned runs over 5 2-3 innings. 'You think you're heading back out there and then they put a couple of more on the scoreboard for you. It's big.'

Santiago Casilla got the final out for his 12th save in 14 chances in the opener, retiring Wilin Rosario on a groundout with the tying run at first.

Colorado right-hander Jordan Lyles (2-5) got off to a strong start before a strained big left toe derailed his outing. He was charged with six earned runs on seven hits in four-plus innings.

Lefty Yohan Flande replaced Lyles after the Giants loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth. Flande allowed four earned runs in two innings, including Crawford's two-run triple that made it 7-1.

Heston, who surrendered a solo homer to Ben Paulsen in the second, gave up a solo home run to Nick Hundley and a two-run shot to Charlie Blackmon in the fifth that pulled Colorado to 7-4.

'It's a battle anytime you have to pitch here,' Heston said. 'It's a sparring match between two teams. You try to go as long as you can.'

NOT AGAIN

Petit plunked Nolan Arenado in the right hand with a fastball in the first inning exactly a year after Arenado broke his left middle finger sliding head-first into second base at Atlanta. This time, he stayed in the game.

TRAINING ROOM

Giants: San Francisco was encouraged by a pain-free outing from RHP Jake Peavy (strained back). He began a rehab assignment with Class A Advanced San Jose on Friday night, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings against Rancho Cucamonga.

Rockies: The Rockies placed LHP Ken Roberts on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his left elbow and activated RHP Brooks Brown (right shoulder tightness) from the 15-day DL.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Tim Hudson (2-3, 4.01) closes out the four-game series at Colorado on Sunday.

Rockies: RHP Chad Bettis (0-0, 5.73) goes for his first win of the season as the Rockies finish their weeklong homestand.