All Logan Webb could do was lean over the dugout, arms draped over the railing, as the lead he helped preserve vanished.
A three-run eighth inning from the Rockies turned a 3-2 Giants lead into a 5-3 deficit. It ended multiple impressive streaks and sent the Giants home with a loss.
Webb dominated for six innings after allowing two runs in the first, but San Francisco’s offense couldn’t create a cushion. With the defeat, the Giants (22-15) lost their first game against the Rockies in 13 tries, ending their longest winning streak against a single opponent since 1945-46.
To break a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning, the Giants used savvy base running from Mike Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski, who singled in a run in the second inning, stretched a single up the middle into a double by catching center fielder Yonathan Daza off-guard. The outfielder then advanced to third on a warning track fly from Austin Slater and tagged up to score on a Darin Ruf sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Webb looked the most like himself as he has since his first two starts. Apart from an awry changeup to leadoff man Charlie Blackmon, Webb’s arsenal was sharp. He threw a healthier amount of sliders compared to recent starts, regaining confidence in the pitch that made him a Cy Young level pitcher in the second half of 2021.
Webb threw 41 of his 97 pitches (42%) as sliders. He typically located it well, earning seven whiffs. It also set up his changeup and two-seamer, which helped him record 11 groundouts.
With Camilo Doval, John Brebbia, Dominic Leone and Tyler Rogers each working the first two games of the series, the Giants needed Webb to pitch deep into the game. He delivered by allowing four hits and three runs in seven innings, striking out six and walking two. Between the second and seventh innings, he retired 16 straight Rockies.
But 3-2 leads rarely hold in Coors Field.
The Giants failed to separate by wasting golden opportunities on offense. In total, San Francisco left eight runners on base.
They came up empty-handed with runners on first and second in the first inning, bases loaded in the third and a leadoff double in the sixth.
A common denominator in those empty-handed innings: Joey Bart. The catcher got the start after hot-hitting Curt Casali played the previous two games and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Bart left runners on second and third with a pop-up in the second inning, struck out with the bases loaded in the third and struck out after Estrada’s leadoff two-bagger in the sixth. Particularly in the sixth, the Giants needed Bart to make at least a productive out, but he couldn’t put wood to ball.
When Bart struck out again — again with Estrada on second — to end the eighth inning, the Giants moved to 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Moments later, Webb allowed his first hit since the second inning to pinch-hitter Connor Joe to leadoff the eighth. Joe flipped the order over, and Gabe Kapler didn’t let Webb face Blackmon a third time.
But José Álvarez couldn’t preserve San Francisco’s 3-2 lead. Joe scored on a Yonathan Daza single, then C.J. Cron launched a two-run home run into left field. It was the first home run Álvarez had allowed since June 1 — 57 innings ago. It was the longest active homerless streak in MLB.
To clinch Colorado’s win, Daniel Bard put down Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr. and Darin Ruf in order. Webb’s work was for naught.
Entering Wednesday, the Giants were seeking their 13th straight victory against the Colorado Rockies. They’d won eight straight games in Coors Field, spanning back to last summer.
Colorado’s eighth-inning comeback prevented the Giants from reaching that magic number of 13. But it didn’t prevent the Giants from winning the three-game series, nor did it take away the fact that Webb looked more like himself again.
