SAN FRANCISCO — Nolan Arenado, baseball’s home run leader, fell one shy Sunday.
It’s a running joke in baseball to say a hitter fell a triple shy of the cycle. But Arenado tripled against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning. Then he singled, and then he doubled. A homer would have boosted him to a first career cycle. It never came.
“I guess it’s a little weird. But that’s OK,” Arenado said. “I was just happy to hit the ball hard. When you’re hitting homers, sometimes you get in the habit of dipping and you pop up. But I was really happy to stay on top of the ball.”
Arenado this season has belittled the Giants. In seven games against Colorado’s National League West foe, he’s 12-for-29 at the plate (.414) with three home runs, a triple, four doubles and 14 RBIs.
And the Rockies, after splitting a four-game series at AT&T Park, finished a successful road trip 6-4.
“We felt like a couple of those (losses) we could have won too,” Arenado said. “We play good baseball out here. It’s nice to know we can compete with them.”
Arenado has just two fewer home runs (12) than strikeouts (14). He’s well on his way to clearing his bar from 2015, when he hit a league-leading 42 homers.
McGee rallies. Colorado manager Walt Weiss on Sunday called upon his closer, Jake McGee, one day after McGee blew a save in the 10th inning of a 13-inning loss. McGee rallied right back, striking out Hunter Pence and forcing Brandon Crawford into a game-ending double play.
“He’s not hitting on all cylinders yet, with the command of his fastball especially,” Weiss said. “I still think there’s enough deception that he can get away with some things.”
McGee earned his eighth of 10 available saves this season.
Footnotes. Sunday’s attendance in San Francisco totaled 41,593 — the Giants 426th consecutive regular-season shutout. … The Rockies shut out the Giants for just the eighth time in San Francisco over 24 years. … Carlos Gonzalez, who singled and scored the Rockies’ second run in a 2-0 win, has hit safely in 25 of his 30 games this season. He’s hitting .312. … Arenado, in the four-game series at San Francisco, hit 6-for-15 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and four RBIs. … Eddie Butler’s six strikeouts were a career high. He helped deal a shutout to the Giants for just their second time this season.
Looking ahead
Diamondbacks RHP Archie Bradley (0-0, 10.38) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (4-2, 2.15), 6:40 p.m. Monday, ROOT; 850 AM
Before Sunday’s games, Chatwood’s 2.15 ERA ranked ninth in the National League. That’s ninth-best, to be clear. He has pitched superbly for the Rockies through six starts after returning from Tommy John surgery. He has not allowed a run in his past 16 innings — currently the second-longest streak in baseball. Batters have just a .178 average against Chatwood away from Coors Field. But in two games at Colorado, they’re hitting .378 against him and he has a 7.20 ERA. In two games against Arizona, he allowed just two runs over 52 plate appearances.
Tuesday: Diamondbacks RHP Rubby De La Rosa (3-4, 4.60 ERA) at Rockies LHP Chris Rusin (1-0, 4.43), 6:40 p.m., ROOT
Wednesday: Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (1-2, 4.70 ERA) at Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (3-2, 4.40), 1:10 p.m.
Thursday: Off
Friday: Mets’ TBA at Rockies RHP Jon Gray (0-1, 5.40), 6:40 p.m., ROOT
Nick Groke, The Denver Post
