Rockies, Giants try to shake off tough losses

Two teams that got roughed up by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week get an opportunity to vent their frustrations on one another when the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants open a three-game series in San Francisco on Monday night.

Colorado right-hander Jon Gray (7-5, 4.18 ERA), who has never beaten the Giants, and San Francisco lefty Drew Pomeranz (2-7, 7.09), who has never lost to the Rockies, are scheduled to go head-to-head in a matchup of clubs that suffered walk-off losses on the road Sunday.

Pomeranz pitched in a 3-2 home win over the Rockies in April, although he did not get a decision after throwing five effective innings.

The 30-year-old hasn't come close to resembling that type of pitcher in five of his 10 starts since, allowing four or more runs on those occasions, including seven in his most recent outing against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

"We've all been in a situation like that where you don't know what's going to happen," Pomeranz said about his inconsistent season. "All you can do is show up every day and put your work in."

Despite the debacle in L.A., he should take the hill with some confidence Monday, given that he's gone 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in five career games, including three starts, against the Rockies.

Two of Colorado's top hitters -- Charlie Blackmon (0-for-5) and Nolan Arenado (2-for-8) -- have combined to hit just 2-for-13 against him.

Blackmon and Arenado were held out of the starting lineup Sunday in Los Angeles to be rested and are expected to play against the Giants.

The Rockies lost 6-3 on Sunday on a three-run homer by the Dodgers' Will Smith in the bottom of the ninth, the third straight walk-off defeat Colorado suffered at the hands of the National League West's top team.

If there was a positive to be taken from the three narrow defeats, it sure beat the way the Dodgers manhandled the Giants earlier in the week, when L.A. outscored its California rival 27-10 over three games.

"These are great moments for these guys, playing in these types of games against intra-divisional rivals, a great team in a great baseball environment," Rockies manager Bud Black said during the series against the Dodgers. "I know everything's in the moment, but long term, these are good moments. I just hope the long term becomes a lot quicker. But this is a process for these players."

The three walk-offs came after the Rockies had swept a three-game series at Arizona. Gray pitched one of the wins, allowing two runs (one earned) in six innings in a 6-4 victory last Wednesday.

He has started six games in his career in San Francisco, going 0-3 with a 4.55 ERA. He's 0-3 with a 5.18 ERA in seven lifetime starts against the Giants.

Gray lost a hard-luck, 1-0 game in San Francisco in April, the victim of a home run by Kevin Pillar to lead off the seventh inning.

Pillar also homered for the Giants in their 3-2, 10-inning loss to Arizona on Sunday.

--Field Level Media