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Brandon Crawford's double lifts SF Giants to 6-4 comeback win over Rockies

A pinch-hit double from Brandon Crawford helped the SF Giants pull out a comeback victory against the Colorado Rockies for the second consecutive day.

Marc Delucchi

Brandon Crawford's double lifts SF Giants to 6-4 comeback win over Rockies
Brandon Crawford's double lifts SF Giants to 6-4 comeback win over Rockies /
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The SF Giants have completed a rare three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. For the second-consecutive day, the Giants came back to win a game they once trailed by three runs. They owe the victory in large part to another impressive performance from the bullpen and a huge pinch-hit double by veteran Brandon Crawford in the ninth inning. The Giants improved to 32-30 on the season.

SF Giants starter Alex Cobb throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies on June 8, 2023.
SF Giants RHP Alex Cobb throws a pitch against the Rockies on June 8, 2023 / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Giants starter Alex Cobb surrendered four runs in the first inning, putting San Francisco in an early hole. Colorado started the game with three consecutive singles, which pushed Cobb to begin nibbling on the edges of the strike zone. In the end, he surrendered five hits, a walk, and a hit batter in the inning.

Cobb's unusually ugly start was not a sign of things to come for the righty. He only allowed three baserunners over the next four innings, finishing his day with seven strikeouts, a walk, eight hits, and four runs across five innings pitched. Cobb likely would have been able to work even deeper into the game but seemed to have some visible discomfort in his hip during the fifth. While he successfully lobbied manager Gabe Kapler to finish the inning, he was removed from the game after just 83 pitches.

The Giants bullpen continued its impressive run. Taylor Rogers, Tyler Rogers, and Scott Alexander each completed shutout innings of work at Coors Field, keeping the Rockies from building on their lead.

Prior to the Rockies' four-run rally in the first inning, Thairo Estrada gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a solo home run against Rockies starter Chase Anderson.

Anderson did not allow another run until the top of the sixth inning, when J.D. Davis tripled, and Michael Conforto blasted his team-leading 12th home run of the season to bring the Giants within a run. Rockies manager Bud Black turned to his bullpen following Conforto's homer, and they successfully kept the Giants offense at bay until the ninth inning.

Rockies closer Pierce Johnson walked the first two batters of the ninth inning before Kapler decided to have veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford pinch-hit for rookie Casey Schmitt (Giants #3 prospect). Crawford lined an RBI double to right-center field that tied the game.

With no outs and runners on second and third base, the Giants top of the order came to the plate. LaMonte Wade Jr. flew out to right field, but he hit the ball far enough for Mike Yastrzemski to tag up and score the go-ahead run. Two batters later, designated hitter Joc Pederson hit an RBI single that gave the Giants a 6-4 lead.

Even in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field, a two-run lead was more than enough for Giants closer Camilo Doval. The three-time NL Reliever of the Month is already making a strong case to win another award in June. He retired the Rockies in four batters, allowing Ryan McMahon to reach base on a hit by pitch, and recorded his 16th save of the season.

The SF Giants will return home today and begin preparing for a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs that starts tomorrow. The Cubs have not announced their starting pitcher for Friday night's game, but whoever takes the mound will go up against Anthony DeSclafani. First pitch at Oracle Park is scheduled for 7:15 PM Pacific.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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