Giants top Rockies in 9th for second straight night

May 7, 2011BOX SCOREGIANTS VIDEOMLB PAGEMLB SCOREBOARD
SAN FRANCISCO(AP)Mike Fontenot made a big play with his glove in the top of the ninth inning. Then he came through with his bat.Just another routine day for Team Torture.Fontenot's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth drove in Aaron Rowand and lifted the Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, the second walk-off win at AT&T Park in two nights for the defending World Series champs."It's like last year - there's magic inside," Fontenot said after the first game-ending RBI of his career. "It can definitely get us going. To get a chance to come back home and pull off two walk-off wins is huge for us."Fontenot has delivered repeatedly for the Giants since being moved to the No. 3 slot in the batting order after Pablo Sandoval broke his right hand in late April.After the Rockies scored twice in the seventh to tie it 2-all, San Francisco reliever Brian Wilson struck out Ian Stewart to start the ninth. Pinch-hitter Seth Smith followed with a sharp liner up the middle that appeared headed for a hit until Fontenot raced over from shortstop and caught the ball at the edge of the outfield grass.That was big because the next two Colorado hitters reached base before Wilson (2-1) got Dexter Fowler to ground out.Fontenot then gave the Giants their second consecutive win over the NL West-leading Rockies."It's similar to last year," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "We don't do anything easy."Rowand and Freddy Sanchez hit back-to-back singles off Felipe Paulino (0-3) to begin the ninth-inning rally. After a pitching change, Franklin Morales threw a wild pitch that sailed over the head of catcher Chris Iannetta and advanced both runners. On the next pitch, Fontenot hit a deep fly to right that easily scored Rowand.It's the third straight game the Rockies have lost in walk-off fashion. Colorado also lost to San Francisco on Friday when Sanchez hit an RBI single off Paulino in the ninth."It's frustrating in that it was so similar to last night and the two prior days in Arizona," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "We had opportunities to get the hit to put us ahead and right now we're just not getting it."San Francisco turned three double plays in the first six innings and built a 2-0 lead against starter Clayton Mortensen, but had to come through late to send Colorado tumbling to a 1-4 record on its current six-game road trip.The Rockies threatened against Wilson in the top of the ninth. The major league leader in saves a year ago, Wilson retired the first two batters, then gave up a single to Iannetta and walked pinch-hitter Jason Giambi. Fowler grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.Mortensen, called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs to make the start, ran into trouble early.Rowand drew a four-pitch walk in the first, took second on Sanchez's single and scored two batters later on Buster Posey's groundout.The Giants added an unearned run in the fifth. Sanchez came through again with an RBI double that drove in Miguel Tejada after he reached on a throwing error.Giants starter Madison Bumgarner kept the Rockies off balance early and got plenty of help from San Francisco's defense, which turned double plays in the third, fifth and sixth. Posey also threw out Fowler trying to steal in the fourth to end another potential threat.Colorado broke through in the seventh. Alfredo Amezaga and Carlos Gonzalez singled, and a throwing error by Bumgarner loaded the bases before Todd Helton hit a two-run single.That chased Bumgarner, winless in seven starts this season."I don't care if I don't win a game all year as long as we win," said Bumgarner, who had five strikeouts and two walks.The Rockies loaded the bases again in the eighth with two outs, but Javier Lopez got Helton to ground out weakly to first.NOTES: To make room for Mortensen, the Rockies placed RHP Esmil Rogers on the 15-day disabled list with a right lat muscle strain. ... San Francisco LHP Barry Zito threw on flat ground for a second consecutive day but there is no date set for when he'll begin throwing off a mound. Zito has been on the DL since April 17 with a mid-foot sprain. ... INF Mark DeRosa (left wrist) and OF Andres Torres (Achilles' strain) will both make one more appearance in the minors and could rejoin the Giants as soon as Tuesday. ... The three double plays were the most by the Giants since they had four against Pittsburgh on May 7, 2008. ... Mortensen's previous seven starts all came in the American League with Oakland.