The Colorado Rockies have had the reputation as a home-run team since they debuted in 1993, but the San Francisco Giants are quickly becoming known for their power.
San Francisco has homered in 16 straight games and can extend the streak on Wednesday night when it wraps up a three-game series in Denver.
Left-hander Robbie Ray (10-6, 3.18 ERA) will start for the Giants and oppose Rockies right-hander German Marquez (3-12, 6.14).
The teams nearly brawled in the first inning of San Francisco’s 7-4 win on Tuesday when Colorado starter Kyle Freeland was upset by Rafael Devers pausing to admire his two-run homer and slowly trotting to first base.
The two started shouting at each other. Players spilled into the infield as umpires, managers and coaches tried to quell the uproar that ended with the ejections of Freeland as well as Giants third baseman Matt Chapman — who had shoved Freeland — and shortstop Willy Adames.
Ray, who is 6-6 with a 5.13 ERA in 107 innings over 21 career starts against Colorado, hopes to get the same kind of home-run support in his start. San Francisco’s homer streak is the longest in the majors this season and matches the longest since the team relocated to California from New York for the 1958 season.
The Giants (70-69) have seven home runs in the first two games of this series and 33 during their 16-game streak. They have won nine of their last 10 games to move above .500 for the first time since Aug. 9 and trail the New York Mets by five games in the race for the third and final wild-card spot in the National League.
“When you’re not swinging the bat well, it can affect the whole lineup. When you are, it can affect it the other way,” San Francisco manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s pretty extreme what we’ve looked like this year, but they’re all feeding off each other.”
The Rockies (39-100) have dropped 10 of their last 12 games but are on pace to surpass the 41 wins by the 2024 Chicago White Sox, who lost a modern-era record 121 games. Colorado has reached 100 losses for the third straight season and hasn’t had a winning record since 2018 (91-72).
Marquez was a part of the rotation that year, which is the last time Colorado made the postseason. The veteran right-hander pitched well this season before right bicep tendonitis landed him on the injured list for a month.
He returned Friday but was roughed up for eight runs on nine hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings of an 11-7 home loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Wednesday night will be his 19th career start against the Giants. He is 5-11 with a 6.80 ERA in 92 2/3 innings in the previous outings, which include allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-3 loss at San Francisco on May 4.
The Rockies haven’t had much to celebrate this season, though Ezequiel Tovar continues to be a bright spot. The 24-year-old shortstop, who had two hits in Tuesday night’s loss, hit his 100th career double on Monday. He and former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado are the only players in franchise history to reach that mark before they turned 25.
“Incredible baseball player, and he’s only getting started,” Freeland said of Tovar. “What we’re going to witness from him in his career is going to be very fun to watch, and we’re excited for that.”