Major League Baseball
Giants 3, Rockies 1
Major League Baseball

Giants 3, Rockies 1

Published Sep. 27, 2011 7:10 a.m. ET

Ryan Vogelsong has heard the critical words all year: One-hit wonder. Fluke.

It fueled him every fifth day. It will fuel him for the next four months.

Vogelsong wrapped up his extraordinary, improbable comeback season with one final gem for the home Giants crowd.

The All-Star right-hander pitched seven shutout innings, Mike Fontenot hit a two-run triple and San Francisco beat the Colorado Rockies 3-1 on Monday night.

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This winter, at last, Vogelsong will allow himself some time to reflect on his remarkable 2011 run - as he sits on his couch and watches reruns of ''The Franchise.''

''I haven't had much time to really think about it,'' Vogelsong said. ''Once I get home and melt down a little bit from the season, it's going to be a lot of good thoughts and I'm probably going to realize how amazing it all is. It's been fun, it really has. All I can hope for right now is that I keep it going, come back and do it again.''

Brett Pill had two hits and drove in a run and Pablo Sandoval added a pair of singles and his first career sacrifice bunt for the Giants, who ended a four-game losing streak with their fifth straight home win at soldout AT&T Park.

The switch-hitting Sandoval bunted left-handed because he couldn't find his batting helmet to hit righty.

Mark Ellis - back in the Bay Area after being traded by the Oakland Athletics this summer - had two hits and drove in a run for the Rockies, who lost for the 10th time in 12 games and have dropped six in a row to the Giants. Seth Smith also had two hits.

Vogelsong (13-7) won his third consecutive start following a five-game losing streak and improved to 4-0 this year against Colorado. He allowed four hits, struck out four and didn't walk a batter. He retired 17 of 18 during one stretch.

The journeyman Vogelsong became an unlikely All-Star and among the most reliable pitchers for the reigning World Series champions - at age 34.

''My years in baseball, it's the best story of a guy who has persevered like he did to get another shot at pitching in the big leagues,'' manager Bruce Bochy said.

A non-roster invitee to spring training on a minor league deal, Vogelsong emerged during Barry Zito's first stint on the disabled list. Vogelsong toiled through three seasons in the Japanese League before Triple-A stints last year for the Phillies and Angels. In the Bay Area with the team that originally drafted him in the fifth round in 1998.

''I've got a lot of motivation to come back and do this again and not be the one-hit wonder,'' Vogelsong said. ''I've heard the things through the season - 'it's going to end' and 'he's a fluke' - and that stuff drove me all year and it's going to drive me through the offseason.''

Jhoulys Chacin (11-14) took the loss despite a solid outing. He gave up the two runs on eight hits over seven innings. Chacin walked one and struck out three.

Ellis' RBI single in the eighth ended Sergio Romo's 21 2-3 scoreless inning streak, a span of 29 games.

Romo got through the eighth, Javier Lopez got an out and Santiago Casilla finished off the game for his sixth save in seven chances.

Vogelsong allowed three or fewer runs in 23 of his 28 starts this season and increased his lead among Giants pitchers with his 12th hit.

Chacin lost his fourth straight start after not receiving any run support for the second straight game and fourth this year.

''I finished the season strong and healthy,'' Chacin said. ''I'd like to get 200 innings next year if I'm healthy.''

Chacin (11-14) gave up two runs on eight hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out three. Fontenot drilled a two-out, two-strike pitch from Chacin into the right-center field gap for a triple, driving in two runs in the third inning.

''It was a pitch I wanted to make but I guess I didn't get it away enough for him to hit it that far,'' Chacin said. ''I was focusing on the glove and trying to hit the glove.''

Fontenot's triple capped a two-out rally in the third after Vogelsong singled and Andres Torres walked ahead of him.

After stranding five runners in scoring position, Ellis' two-out single in the eighth put the Rockies on the board.

Pill added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Bochy said closer Brian Wilson won't pitch again this season in order to protect his troublesome elbow. Wilson didn't seem happy about the decision after the game.

''I'm not going to talk about myself,'' he said before making a quick exit.

NOTES: Vogelsong didn't walk a batter for the first time since April 22 vs. Atlanta. ... Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez had his injured right wrist examined by 49er team doctor Tim McAdams, who confirmed a deep bone bruise and tendon inflammation. ... Colorado hitting coach Carney Lansford said he will likely undergo right hip replacement surgery sometime in October. ... RHP Alex White (3-3, 7.04) will start Tuesday's game for the Rockies. He's lost his last two starts, giving up 11 runs in 10 1-3 innings. The Rockies won each of his first four starts and six of his first seven. ... LHP Madison Bumgarner (12-13, 3.32) pitches for the Giants on Tuesday. He had a five-game winning streak snapped in his last start. He's 1-3 in six career starts against the Rockies, but with a 2.43 ERA. ... Rachael Flatt, the 2010 women's national figure skating champion, and San Jose Sharks' players Torey Mitchell and Logan Couture were among those in attendance. ... Rockies' manager Jim Tracy said he doesn't expect to use Huston Street the rest of the way as the pitcher nurses a groin injury. Street experienced discomfort after his last throwing session. ... The Giants set an all-time attendance record with 3,303,060.

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