Major League Baseball

Crawford helps Giants top Rockies, extend winning streak to 8

Published May. 23, 2015 10:15 p.m. ET

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The rains soaking Colorado let up just long enough for the San Francisco Giants to extend their winning streak to eight games Saturday.

After showers pushed the start back by 2 hours, 15 minutes, Brandon Crawford drove in three runs and San Francisco held on for a 10-8 win over the skidding Rockies in the opener of a day-night doubleheader at drenched Coors Field.

"It was nice the delay was before we got going. That makes it easier," said right-hander Chris Heston (4-3), who picked up the win in the opener despite allowing eight hits, including three homers, and six earned runs over 5 2/3 innings.

The start of the nightcap -- a makeup of an April 26 rainout -- also was delayed, this time for nearly an hour by lightning and thunderstorms.

In the second game -- the eighth that's been delayed or postponed by rain in Colorado this season -- the Giants were seeking their first nine-game winning streak since winning 10 in a row in May 2004.

Heston said the Giants spent the afternoon delay talking baseball in the clubhouse.

"There are a lot of stories going on so just to be around and listening is awesome," he said. "These guys are locked in. They may have a little bit of a rain delay but they have the game on their mind and they're ready to go."

Exhibit A: all 10 of the Giants' runs came with two outs.

"It's awesome," Heston said. "You think you're heading back out there and then they put a couple of more on the scoreboard for you. It's big."

Santiago Casilla got the final out for his 12th save in 14 chances. He came in after Sergio Romo gave up an RBI single to Nolan Arenado in the ninth. Casilla allowed a single to Carlos Gonzalez and an RBI single to Troy Tulowitzki. That brought up Wilin Rosario, who grounded out to third to end it.

As soon as the Giants closed out the opener, the skies opened up again, the tarp came out once more and the fans again headed for cover.

Colorado right-hander Jordan Lyles (2-5), who was charged with six earned runs on seven hits in four-plus innings, left in the fifth with a sprained big toe on his left foot and is listed as day to day.

Lyles was cruising until the fourth, when he allowed five straight two-out singles and surrendered three runs, including one on his errant pickoff attempt at first.

He was injured on a pitch that Hunter Pence sent up the middle for a single. Crawford and Matt Duffy followed with RBI singles and Crawford scored from third on Lyles' errant pickoff attempt to first, making it 3-1.

"He was throwing the ball well and was noticeably different after he felt that in his foot," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We felt like he was spinning off trying to protect that land foot."

The Giants loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth off Lyles, who replaced by lefty Yohan Flande.

Flande allowed a two-run single by Pence and a two-run triple by Crawford that made it 7-1.

Heston, who surrendered a solo homer to Ben Paulsen in the second, gave up a solo home run to Nick Hundley and a two-run shot to Charlie Blackmon in the fifth that pulled Colorado to 7-4.

"It's a battle anytime you have to pitch here," Heston said. "It's a sparring match between two teams. You try to go as long as you can."

TRAINING ROOM

Giants: San Francisco was encouraged by a pain-free outing from RHP Jake Peavy (strained back). He began a rehab assignment with Class A Advanced San Jose on Friday night, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings against Rancho Cucamonga.

Rockies: The Rockies placed LHP Ken Roberts on the 15-day DL with inflammation in his left elbow. The Rockies activated RHP Brooks Brown (right shoulder tightness) from the 15-day DL.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Yusmeiro Petit (1-0, 3.27) makes a spot start in the nightcap Saturday.

Rockies: RHP David Hale (0-0, 0.00) was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque and will make his Colorado debut.

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