SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants got their full lineup back on the field Tuesday night in Denver, but against the Colorado Rockies, they probably don’t need it.
They went 14-5 against the Rockies last season, winning the final eight matchups, and the first meeting of 2023 was never close.
With Thairo Estrada, Joc Pederson and Michael Conforto back in the lineup, the Giants won 10-4, totaling 14 hits and tying a San Francisco-era franchise record with eight doubles.
Most of the damage was done in a five-run fifth that showed how deep the lineup is at full strength. The inning included doubles by Patrick Bailey and JD Davis and RBI singles by Conforto and LaMonte Wade Jr., who reached base six times to raise his OBP to .429, which ranks second in the majors.
Estrada’s double in the seventh was the eighth of the night for the Giants. It was the seventh time since 1958 that they have hit that mark, with the last time coming — naturally — at Coors Field in 2020.
The Giants are looking for their seventh sweep over the Rockies since the start of 2021. They’re 30-9 against them during that stretch.
The Mountains Are Blue
It’s unfair to compare any Giants catcher to Buster Posey, but Patrick Bailey certainly appears to have picked up where Posey left off when it comes to the Rockies.
Posey demolished the division rival, posting a .985 OPS against them and batting .365 at Coors. On his first night in Denver, Bailey had two doubles and a triple in his first three at-bats.
The second double was a fascinating one, because Bailey came inches away from a homer that would have put him just a single away from the cycle. Instead, he ended up with a 397-foot double after earlier hitting a 420-foot triple.
It’s been 12 years since the last Giants cycle, which came at Coors Field. Pablo Sandoval did it on Sept. 15, 2011.
Welcome Back
Before the game, the Giants activated Estrada and Pederson and optioned Bryce Johnson and Brett Wisely back to Triple-A. This was the first time since April 29 that they had all of their projected starters in the lineup, with the added boost of having Bailey behind the plate.
Estrada had the biggest night, picking up three hits and a walk in his return. He had two of the eight doubles. Pederson, playing for the first time since May 12, went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
In his return from a bruised heel, Conforto was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
Piecing It Together
Until the bottom of the seventh, the bullpen game was humming along. Sean Manaea had allowed just one earned run in his four appearances since moving to the pen and he did a solid job of getting the lead from the third to the seventh on Tuesday. A two-out walk was followed by back-to-back extra-base hits, ruining his line.
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Manaea was charged with four earned in 4 2/3 innings. The Giants again used him as their “bulk innings” guy. John Brebbia was the opener and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first. Rookie Ryan Walker followed with a sharp inning, striking out a pair.
After Manaea departed, Luke Jackson settled everything down, throwing 1 1/3 shutout innings. Jackson has looked sharp in three appearances since returning from Tommy John surgery.
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