Major League Baseball

Giants 7, Rockies 2

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:12 a.m. ET

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DENVER -- The Giants continued their slugging ways, and Jeff Samardzija gave his new team a strong start Tuesday night in San Francisco's 7-2 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Rookie Trevor Brown hit a pair of two-run homers and Hunter Pence also hit a two-run shot as the Giants extended a franchise record by homering in their first eight games to start a season. In that span, the Giants have 17 homers, tied with Colorado for the major league lead.

Samardzija, who signed a five-year, $90 million free agent contract with the Giants in the offseason, was effective in a 111-pitch effort. He allowed two runs and eight hits in eight innings, walking two and striking out five while recording nine ground-ball outs.

In his San Francisco debut April 6, Samardzija (1-0) allowed three runs on eight hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings at Milwaukee in a no-decision.

For just the second time in his past 11 starts, Samardzija did not allow a home run Tuesday. In five career games, two starts, at Coors Field, Samardzija is 1-0 with a 2.01 ERA.

The multi-homer game was the first for Brown, who had a career-high four RBIs and has three homers this season. Brown, the Giants' backup catcher, started because Buster Posey was recovering from a bruised right instep after being hit by a foul tip Sunday.

Brown's two-run homer off left-hander Jason Gurka in the eighth increased the Giants' lead to 7-2. His first two-run shot came on a first-pitch fastball with two outs in the sixth of Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood (0-1) and put the Giants ahead 5-2.

Chatwood allowed five runs on 11 hits in six innings. He threw 95 pitches in his second start since undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in July 2014.

Pence's two-run homer with two outs in the fifth gave the Giants a 3-1 lead. He drove Chatwood's 1-2 fastball into the seats in left-center for his second homer of the season and third RBI of the game.

Joe Panik scored ahead of Pence after grounding a double inside third base well beyond the reach of third baseman Nolan Arenado, who had shifted to the shortstop area against the left-handed-hitting Panik.

The Rockies made it 3-2 in their half of fifth.

Arenado flared a run-scoring single to short left center with two outs that eluded left fielder Angel Pagan. Carlos Gonzalez, whose single extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games dating to last season, tried to score from first, but Pagan threw him out at the plate.

Pence's two-out single in the third tied the score at 1. Pence took second on left fielder Gerardo Parra's throw to the plate and was thrown out at home by Parra when he tried to score on Brandon Belt's single.

Consecutive singles to open the second put runners on first and third for the Rockies. However, Colorado managed just one run, which scored when Samardzija got Nick Hundley to ground into a double play.

NOTES: Giants C Buster Posey was held out of the game for precautionary reasons. He was available for use off the bench but didn't play. A foul tip off the bat of Dodgers 2B Chase Utley struck Posey in his right instep Sunday. ... Rockies RHP Jon Gray (abdominal strain) is scheduled to make his second rehab start on Friday for Class A Modesto and throw about 85 pitches. He felt fine after allowing two runs in 4 2/3 innings for Modesto on Saturday. If Gray comes through the next start without incident, he is expected to be ready to join the Colorado rotation. ... Rockies RHP Jason Motte (right shoulder strain) is pain-free, progressing with his strengthening exercises at the Rockies' complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., and will attempt to play catch in the next couple days. ... Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (right oblique strain) and LHP Tyler Matzek (anxiety) threw bullpen sessions in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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