SAN FRANCISCO — After elaborate pregame festivities to celebrate Independence Day, Jake Peavy (5-7, 5.04 ERA) continued his AT&T Park roll. He allowed a run over 6 2/3 innings, just the fifth scored off Peavy in his last 26 1/3 innings at home. Two home runs later, he and the Giants (53-32) won yet another game, this one a 3-1 final over the Rockies (37-45). Here’s how the Fourth of July played out at 24 Willie Mays Plaza.
MORE: Bullpen turns in encouraging outing against Rockies
The big moment
After a series of fielding miscues to unravel Jake Peavy’s last start, Angel Pagan redeemed himself in Peavy’s next go around. He lifted the game-deciding home run into the left field seats for his fourth long ball of the season.
At the plate
The Giants haven’t risen to their current level via the home run ball. Their 71 four-baggers are ahead of only the Braves, and 25 home runs at AT&T Park are the fewest for any home team. That’s what made Buster Posey and Angel Pagan’s shots that much more unexpected. But what wasn’t surprising was that it happened during the day, when the Giants average an MLB-best 5.76 runs per game.
Posey cracked a 3-1 changeup into the left field seats for his second home run in the last four games. He tied Brandon Belt for the team lead with 10 home runs, the fewest total among the 29 other team leaders. In case Posey’s power numbers seem low through 75 games this season, he also had 10 home runs in the first 75 games of his MVP season in 2012 (he hit 24 homers).
The Giants catcher tied the game in the third inning, and their temporary center fielder and leadoff man gave them the lead in the fourth. Pagan hooked another changeup into the seats, dropping down his fourth home run of the season to put the Giants ahead, 3-1.
On the mound
On the 33rd anniversary of Dave Righetti’s no-hitter against the Red Sox, Jake Peavy didn’t have the same magic working for him on this Fourth of July. But for Peavy, pitching in his 15th season at age 37, Monday afternoon’s 6 2/3 innings was about as good as he could hope for. He scattered five hits and struck out six Rockies along the way, exiting after Grant Green deflected a two-out single into center field.
Peavy unwound only for a moment to help the Rockies score their only run. With pitcher Tyler Anderson hitting with the bases loaded and one out, Bruce Bochy drew Brandon Belt and Ruben Tejada in at the corners. Peavy mistakenly tried a pick-off throw to Belt, and was called for a balk because Belt didn’t occupy the base as a fielder.
But the veteran right-hander rolled after his lapse, retiring 13 of the next 15 hitters tp breeze into the seventh inning. Peavy delivered his 100th pitch to Mark Reynolds, and was helped out remarkably by right fielder Mac Williamson. He fully extended his 6-foot-4 frame in a dive to start Peavy’s final inning with an exclamation point, and help him survive another hitter.
In the ‘pen
After Christhian Adames barely squeaked a two-out single off Peavy, Bochy called on Javier Lopez, who needed only two pitches to retire his only hitter of the afternoon. As the Giants batted in the bottom half of the seventh, Bochy sent Sergio Romo down to warm up. He was slated to face the Rockies’ power hitters just hours after Bochy said he’d like to ease Romo into a big spot.
He lasted only two hitters, exiting after Nolan Arenado slashed a double in his never-ending dismantling of Giants pitchers. Romo was bailed out by Josh Osich and Derek Law, who was the beneficiary of an inning-ending replay review that could’ve resulted in a Rockies run.
Santiago Casilla pitched efficently in the ninth, needing only 12 pitches to wrap up his 20th save of the season.
On deck
Coming off a four-run outing against the A’s, Madison Bumgarner (9-4, 2.20 ERA) made a heck of a lot more noise with his appearance in the lineup than the pitcher’s mound. He starts on Tuesday night against the Rockies, likely with his fourth-straight All-Star bid already wrapped up. The selection show is on ESPN at 4 p.m., and first pitch is at 7:15 p.m. on KNBR 680.
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