Major League Baseball

Rockies' Chacin takes no-hitter into 7th

Published Aug. 29, 2013 6:13 a.m. ET

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Jhoulys Chacin went from his sick bed to a run at Coors Field history in a span of 24 hours.

When he was finally done for the night, he left the San Francisco Giants feeling ill.

Chacin shook off a high fever to put in a masterful outing Wednesday night. The righty did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the seventh inning and hustled for a crucial RBI to help the Colorado Rockies beat the Giants 5-4.

Vying for the second no-hitter in franchise history and second ever at Coors Field, Chacin (13-7) tied a season high with nine strikeouts. Brandon Crawford's single to center field was the only hit Chacin allowed in seven innings. He also yielded an unearned run.

''Man, he was good tonight,'' manager Walt Weiss said. ''His breaking ball had some depth to it. He got a lot of swings and missed with his breaking ball.''

It was a big change from Tuesday, when Chacin left Coors Field wondering if he would make his scheduled start. He said his fever reached 100.6 and he wasn't able to stay in the dugout during the game, so he retired to the clubhouse and slept on a couch.

''I was really bad. I told (the trainers) if I felt the same today I couldn't pitch,'' Chacin said. ''I couldn't even do the chart yesterday. They gave me pills to make feel better. This morning I woke up, I called them to say I feel better.

''I always want to pitch so it would have to be really bad for me not to pitch,'' Chacin added.

He worked around three errors and threw 92 pitches through six innings, but Weiss said he was going to let Chacin stay in until he gave up a hit.

''We were going to let him chase a no-hitter as long as it took,'' he said. ''After he gave up the hit I didn't want to let him go after that.''

Crawford made it a moot point with a sharp single on an inside fastball.

The crowd of 27,268 gave Chacin a standing ovation after Crawford's hit.

''We couldn't figure him out,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''He mixed it up, we chased some pitches and just couldn't get anything going against him.''

Troy Tulowitzki and Wilin Rosario had two hits each for Colorado, which built a 5-1 lead through six innings.

Giants starter Madison Bumgarner (11-9) was effective until the sixth. He allowed just three hits - including Nolan Arenado's RBI double in the second before Colorado tagged him in the sixth.

DJ LeMahieu led off the inning with a single, Tulowitzki walked and Rosario hit a bloop single to center to make it 2-1.

Jean Machi entered and got Arenado to hit a comebacker, but Crawford dropped the throw to second to load the bases. Yorvit Torrealba's ground-rule double made it 4-1, and after an intentional walk Chacin beat out a potential double-play ball at first for another run.

''I felt good and felt I made some pitches,'' Bumgarner said. ''They just happened to find holes when they hit it.''

The Giants nearly left Chacin with a no-decision when they rallied for three runs in the eighth. Brandon Belt hit an RBI double, Buster Posey drove in another run with a groundout and Pence singled to make it 5-4.

Rex Brothers worked the ninth for his 14th save.

While Chacin was baffling the Giants, the defense behind him was suspect.

Rosario, starting at first base for the third time this season, mishandled two straight grounders to start the third. Chacin got Bumgarner to pop up a bunt attempt, struck out Gregor Blanco and got Marco Scutaro to ground out to end the inning.

''It was tough, but they've picked me up with good plays all year and today was a day I had to pick them up,'' Chacin said.

The Giants capitalized in the fourth. Belt walked and went to third when Tulowitzki fumbled Posey's potential double-play grounder.

Pence hit into a double play to score Belt and make it 1-all.

That was all the damage the Giants could do against Chacin. He mixed in his breaking ball and worked both sides of the plate to keep the hitters off-balance.

''Everything was working for me today,'' he said. ''My ball was sinking, my curveball was good and I got ground balls with my sinker.''

NOTES: It's the deepest a Colorado pitcher has taken a no-hitter at Coors Field. John Thomson didn't allow a hit for 6 1-3 innings against Pittsburgh on May 2, 2002. ... Ubaldo Jimenez pitched Colorado's only no-hitter, on April 17, 2010, in Atlanta. Hideo Nomo has the only no-hitter at Coors Field on Sept. 17, 1996, while with the Los Angeles Dodgers. ... Giants OF Andres Torres had surgery to remove bone spurs in his left Achilles. Carolina Panthers orthopedist Dr. Robert Anderson performed the surgery. Torres is expected to be sidelined for six months. ... Rockies OF Dexter Fowler (left knee bruise) was out of the lineup for the second straight day. Weiss said he could be sidelined for part or all of the weekend series against Cincinnati. ... Colorado OF Carlos Gonzalez (sprained right middle finger) has begun taking batting practice and could go on a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (elbow inflammation) threw 75 pitches in a rehab start in Triple-A on Tuesday. He is on schedule to be activated to start Sunday.

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