Ezequiel Tovar homers for a 3rd straight game, Rockies hang on to beat Giants 4-3

DENVER (AP) Ezequiel Tovar homered for a third straight game, breaking a tie with a two-run drive in the fifth inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on Saturday night.

Kyle Freeland (2-3) went six innings and allowed three runs - two earned - on five hits in a fifth consecutive quality start since being reinstated from the injured list June 23 after missing two months due to a left elbow strain. He struck out four and walked one to win back-to-back decisions for the first time this season. Freeland said he threw all four of his pitches for strikes, allowing him to keep Giants batters on the defensive. “I was filling up the zone," he said. "Putting yourself in good counts and allowing the defense to work for you, that’s huge as a starting pitcher. If we continue to do that, you're going to see a lot of games like this, where starters are going to go deep into games and we’ll come out with wins.”

Tyler Fitzgerald, batting ninth in the order, doubled and homered to drive in two runs for the Giants. Wilmer Flores had a run-scoring double after Matt Chapman reached with two outs in the sixth on shortstop Tovar’s fielding error.

Logan Webb was coming off his worst start of the season. He had matched a career-high when he allowed seven runs in five innings in a 10-6 loss to Toronto on July 10.

Webb (7-8) kept the Rockies in check until Sam Hilliard singled to start the fifth. One out later, Tovar hit one over the left field fence for his 16th home run of the season.

Tovar said he connected on a slider that came in over the middle of the plate and the reaction of the 44,178 fans told him it was out of the park.

“It was more the atmosphere of the crowd. That’s when I knew that I hit it that far,” Tovar said through an interpreter. His homer traveled 455 feet, the longest of his career.

Webb went six innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. He walked four and struck out four. “I have to be better. I know that," he said. "I’m pretty frustrated with the way I’ve been performing the last couple of games.”

Fitzgerald homered off Freeland in the third and doubled home Mike Yastrzemski, aboard with a triple, in the fifth.

Nick Mears pitched two hitless innings in relief, starting his outing by striking out four in a row, and Victor Vodnik pitched a hitless ninth for his third save. “Nine batters faced, nine outs. That's pretty good for the bullpen," Mears said. TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: LHP Robbie Ray pitched impressively in his latest rehab outing and manager Bob Melvin said there’s a “good chance” the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner could make his Giants’ debut during San Francisco’s four-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers that begins Monday. Melvin described Ray’s impending return as a “big deal.” The Giants acquired Ray in an offseason trade with Seattle. He’s bidding to make his first appearance since undergoing reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow in early May 2023. Ray pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Sacramento on Friday night, allowing one hit. He struck out seven and walked two.

Rockies: C Elías Díaz left the game with right calf tightness and was replaced in the third inning by C Jacob Stallings. INF-OF Kris Bryant was slated to make his second rehab start Saturday night as a designated hitter for Triple-A Albuquerque after going 0-3 in his initial appearance on Friday night. Bryant, sidelined by a left rib contusion since early June, is expected to play for Albuquerque again on Sunday. It’s anticipated he’ll be re-evaluated after the weekend and could possibly rejoin the Rockies next week.

UP NEXT

Rockies LHP Ryan Feltner (1-9, 5.36 ERA) will be looking to snap an eight-game losing streak when he takes the mound in Sunday’s series finale against the Giants, who are scheduled to start RHP Hayden Birdsong (1-0, 3.72 ERA).

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