SAN FRANCISCO — Ryan Vogelsong threw seven shutout innings, Mike Fontenot tripled in two runs and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 3-1 on Monday night.

Pablo Sandoval and Brett Pill, who also had an RBI, each added two hits for the Giants, who ended a four-game losing streak with their fifth straight home win.

Mark Ellis had two hits and drove in a run for the Rockies, who lost for the 10th time in 12 games and have dropped six in a row to the Giants. Seth Smith also had two hits.

The Rockies were held in check on offense one night after pounding out 25 hits for 19 runs at Houston.

Vogelsong (13-7) won his third consecutive start following a five-game losing streak. He allowed four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four. He retired 17 of 18 at one point.

Jhoulys Chacin (11-14) took the loss despite a decent outing. He gave up the two runs on eight hits over seven innings. Chacin walked one and struck out three.

Ellis’ RBI single in the eighth ended Sergio Romo’s 212/3 scoreless inning streak, a span of 29 games.

Romo got through the eighth, Javier Lopez got an out and Santiago Casilla finished off the game for his sixth save in seven chances.

Vogelsong, who was namedto the NL All-Star team, allowed three or fewer runs in 23 of his 28 starts this season and increased his lead among Giants pitchers with his 12th hit.

Chacin lost his fourth straight start after not receiving any run support for the second straight game and fourth this year.

Fontenot’s two-run triple capped a two-out rally in the third. Vogelsong singled and Andres Torres walked ahead of Fontenot.

After stranding five runners in scoring position, Ellis’ two-out single in the eighth put the Rockies on the board.

Pill added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

CarGo diagnosed

with bone bruise

Rockies’ OF Carlos Gonzalez had his injured right wrist examined by 49er team doctor Tim McAdams, who confirmed a deep bone bruise and tendon inflammation.

Notable

Colorado hitting coach Carney Lansford said he will likely undergo right hip replacement surgery sometime in October. … RHP Alex White (3-3, 7.04) will start today’s game for the Rockies. He’s lost his last two starts, giving up 11 runs in 101/3 innings. The Rockies won each of his first four starts and six of his first seven. … LHP Madison Bumgarner (12-13, 3.32) pitches for the Giants on Tuesday. He had a five-game winning streak snapped in his last start. He’s 1-3 in six career starts against the Rockies, but with a 2.43 ERA. … Rockies’ manager Jim Tracy said he doesn’t expect to use Huston Street the rest of the way as the pitcher nurses a groin injury. Street experienced discomfort after his last throwing session. … The Giants set an all-time attendance record with 3,303,060.

Upcoming

Giants 3, Rockies 1 Colorado San Francisco

ab r h bi ab r h bi

EYong lf 4 0 1 0 AnTrrs cf 3 1 0 0

M.Ellis 2b 4 0 2 1 Fontent 2b 3 1 2 2

Fowler cf 4 0 1 0 Beltran rf 3 0 0 0

S.Smith rf 4 0 2 0 PSndvl 3b 3 0 2 0

Pachec 1b 4 0 0 0 Pill 1b 3 0 2 1

Kzmnff 3b 4 0 0 0 Belt lf 3 0 0 0

WRosr c 3 1 1 0 Christn lf 1 0 0 0

Field ss 3 0 0 0 BCrwfr ss 3 0 1 0

Chacin p 2 0 0 0 Whitsd c 3 0 0 0

Wggntn ph 1 0 0 0 Vglsng p 2 1 1 0

JRomr p 0 0 0 0 Gillaspi ph 1 0 0 0

Lndstr p 0 0 0 0 Romo p 0 0 0 0

JaLopz p 0 0 0 0

SCasill p 0 0 0 0

Totals 33 1 7 1 Totals 28 3 8 3

Colorado 000 000 010–1

San Francisco 002 000 01x–3

DP–Colorado 1, San Francisco 1. LOB–Colorado 5, San Francisco 6. 2B–Fowler (35), S.Smith (32). 3B–Fontenot (3). SB–M.Ellis (6). CS–P.Sandoval (4). S–P.Sandoval. SF–Pill.

IP H R ER BB SO

Colorado

Chacin L,11-14 7 8 2 2 1 3

J.Romero 1-3 0 1 1 2 0

Lindstrom 2-3 0 0 0 0 1

San Francisco

Vogelsong W,13-7 7 4 0 0 0 4

Romo H,23 1 3 1 1 0 3

Ja.Lopez H,20 1-3 0 0 0 0 0

S.Casilla S,6-7 2-3 0 0 0 0 1

T–2:32. A–41,956 (41,915).

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are losing to teams out of contention. They’re losing at home. Great pitching efforts are being wasted.

All those things are cause for concern as the reigning World Series champions approach the final month.

Matt Downs delivered a go-ahead single with one out in the 11th inning and the Houston Astros beat the stumbling Giants 4-3 on Sunday to salvage a four-game split.

“We’ve got to win, that’s all we’ve got to do,” pitcher Matt Cain said.

To win, they must score more runs.

Jose Altuve got things going with a one-out double against Ramon Ramirez (2-3) and Downs followed with a single up the middle. Altuve was forced into action after slugger Carlos Lee left in the top of the ninth with a sprained right ankle, sustained sliding into second on a double. Lee was 3 for 4 with two doubles.

Mark Melancon (7-4) pitched the 10th and got the win despite allowing Mark DeRosa’s tying single. David Carpenter finished for his first career save.

“It was a big win, especially to get one late like that,” Downs said. “It’s easy to get frustrated when you blow a lead, but we didn’t. We kept battling like it was just a part of the game.”

The reigning World Series champions fell four games behind the first-place Diamondbacks in the NL West race after Arizona beat the Padres 6-1. The D-backs come to town Friday for a key weekend series.

On bring your dog day at AT&T Park, the Giants continued to experience the dog days. More missed chances.

They also argued that one chance was taken from them.

DeRosa singled with one out in the 10th off Melancon, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. He slid past the bag and reached back with his left hand, and replays showed he appeared to be safe.

DeRosa jumped up to yell at second-base umpire Dan Bellino and manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for the second time this year.

“I thought I was safe. I mean it’s a tough call, bang bang,” DeRosa said. “You don’t have a choice, you move on. You battle and you’ve got to put it behind us. We can’t scoreboard watch because we’ve got our own bag of issues we’ve got to deal with and we’ve got to get the bats going.”

Houston went ahead 3-2 in the 10th on pinch-hitter Jason Michaels’ double, then the Giants came back again.

Jordan Schafer lined a tying RBI single to right with two outs in the eighth against Cain to help force extra innings.

The reeling Giants failed to string together their first three-game winning streak since July 17-19 at San Diego. They haven’t had a winning home series in five sets since taking two of three from Milwaukee from July 22-24.

San Francisco has played eight straight games decided by two or fewer runs.

“This is a tough loss, no getting around it. We came back a couple times,” Bochy said. “As I’ve said, we have to score some runs for these guys.”

The Giants couldn’t capitalize in the eighth after getting consecutive two-out singles by Jeff Keppinger and Carlos Beltran off Wilton Lopez. Wesley Wright relieved and retired Pablo Sandoval on a grounder.

Aubrey Huff hit a tying RBI single off Houston starter Bud Norris in the seventh to end a 0-for-15 funk, and singled again in the ninth but the Giants didn’t score. After Huff’s initial hit in the seventh, Norris received a mound visit before giving up Orlando Cabrera’s go-ahead sacrifice fly on the next pitch.

That one-run lead didn’t last long.

Norris, pitching back home in the Bay Area, had only allowed one runner to reach second base before the Giants got to him for two runs in the seventh. Sandoval drew a one-out walk to start things off. Brandon Belt singled to bring up Huff, whose struggles have some fans and skeptics calling for Bochy to sit him for an extended period.

Cain, the Giants’ hard-luck loser for years now, has only two wins in his last nine starts. The two-time All-Star struck out pinch-hitter Jason Bourgeois with the go-ahead run on first for the second out of the eighth, then gave up Schafer’s tying single.

Cain has received the lowest run support in the majors since his first full season in 2006.

Keppinger, acquired by the Giants on July 19 from Houston, was 8 for 26 with three RBIs against his former team — including 5 for 14 this series.

Astros manager Brad Mills had seen enough.

“OK, Keppinger’s done,” Mills joked before the game. “He’s done getting these big hits against us.”

NOTES: Astros SS Clint Barmes had the day off. … RHP Tim Lincecum takes the mound Monday for the Giants against the Chicago Cubs. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner is 3-1 with a 0.91 ERA in his last four starts. … Houston heads home to face Pittsburgh, with Wandy Rodriguez (9-9) getting the ball for the fourth time this year against the Pirates. He struck out 11 Pittsburgh batters in 5 2-3 innings back on July 17. … Astros C Jason Castro, sidelined all season after right knee surgery, will join the team in Houston for the homestand to catch bullpens and take batting practice before returning to Florida for instructional league. “It will be a good chance for us to see him and evaluate where he is,” Mills said. … Mills left passes for his old community college coach at College of the Sequoias, Bert Holt, and his wife, Sue.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 28, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants are losing to teams out of contention. They’re losing at home. Great pitching efforts are being wasted.

All those things are cause for concern as the reigning World Series champions approach the final month.

Matt Downs delivered a go-ahead single with one out in the 11th inning and the Houston Astros beat the stumbling Giants 4-3 on Sunday to salvage a four-game split.

“We’ve got to win, that’s all we’ve got to do,” pitcher Matt Cain said.

To win, they must score more runs.

Jose Altuve got things going with a one-out double against Ramon Ramirez (2-3) and Downs followed with a single up the middle. Altuve was forced into action after slugger Carlos Lee left in the top of the ninth with a sprained right ankle, sustained sliding into second on a double. Lee was 3 for 4 with two doubles.

Mark Melancon (7-4) pitched the 10th and got the win despite allowing Mark DeRosa’s tying single. David Carpenter finished for his first career save.

“It was a big win, especially to get one late like that,” Downs said. “It’s easy to get frustrated when you blow a lead, but we didn’t. We kept battling like it was just a part of the game.”

The reigning World Series champions fell four games behind the first-place Diamondbacks in the NL West race after Arizona beat the Padres 6-1. The D-backs come to town Friday for a key weekend series.

On bring your dog day at AT&T Park, the Giants continued to experience the dog days. More missed chances.

They also argued that one chance was taken from them.

DeRosa singled with one out in the 10th off Melancon, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. He slid past the bag and reached back with his left hand, and replays showed he appeared to be safe.

DeRosa jumped up to yell at second-base umpire Dan Bellino and manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for the second time this year.

“I thought I was safe. I mean it’s a tough call, bang bang,” DeRosa said. “You don’t have a choice, you move on. You battle and you’ve got to put it behind us. We can’t scoreboard watch because we’ve got our own bag of issues we’ve got to deal with and we’ve got to get the bats going.”

Houston went ahead 3-2 in the 10th on pinch-hitter Jason Michaels’ double, then the Giants came back again.

Jordan Schafer lined a tying RBI single to right with two outs in the eighth against Cain to help force extra innings.

The reeling Giants failed to string together their first three-game winning streak since July 17-19 at San Diego. They haven’t had a winning home series in five sets since taking two of three from Milwaukee from July 22-24.

San Francisco has played eight straight games decided by two or fewer runs.

“This is a tough loss, no getting around it. We came back a couple times,” Bochy said. “As I’ve said, we have to score some runs for these guys.”

The Giants couldn’t capitalize in the eighth after getting consecutive two-out singles by Jeff Keppinger and Carlos Beltran off Wilton Lopez. Wesley Wright relieved and retired Pablo Sandoval on a grounder.

Aubrey Huff hit a tying RBI single off Houston starter Bud Norris in the seventh to end a 0-for-15 funk, and singled again in the ninth but the Giants didn’t score. After Huff’s initial hit in the seventh, Norris received a mound visit before giving up Orlando Cabrera’s go-ahead sacrifice fly on the next pitch.

That one-run lead didn’t last long.

Norris, pitching back home in the Bay Area, had only allowed one runner to reach second base before the Giants got to him for two runs in the seventh. Sandoval drew a one-out walk to start things off. Brandon Belt singled to bring up Huff, whose struggles have some fans and skeptics calling for Bochy to sit him for an extended period.

Cain, the Giants’ hard-luck loser for years now, has only two wins in his last nine starts. The two-time All-Star struck out pinch-hitter Jason Bourgeois with the go-ahead run on first for the second out of the eighth, then gave up Schafer’s tying single.

Cain has received the lowest run support in the majors since his first full season in 2006.

Keppinger, acquired by the Giants on July 19 from Houston, was 8 for 26 with three RBIs against his former team — including 5 for 14 this series.

Astros manager Brad Mills had seen enough.

“OK, Keppinger’s done,” Mills joked before the game. “He’s done getting these big hits against us.”

Notes

• Astros SS Clint Barmes had the day off.
• RHP Tim Lincecum takes the mound Monday for the Giants against the Chicago Cubs. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner is 3-1 with a 0.91 ERA in his last four starts.
• Houston heads home to face Pittsburgh, with Wandy Rodriguez (9-9) getting the ball for the fourth time this year against the Pirates. He struck out 11 Pittsburgh batters in 5 2/3 innings back on July 17.
• Astros C Jason Castro, sidelined all season after right knee surgery, will join the team in Houston for the homestand to catch bullpens and take batting practice before returning to Florida for instructional league. “It will be a good chance for us to see him and evaluate where he is,” manager Brad Mills said.
• Mills left passes for his old community college coach at College of the Sequoias, Bert Holt, and his wife, Sue.

Alberto Gonzalez hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning, Kyle Blanks had a two-run homer and the Padres beat the banged-up Giants 7-5 on Tuesday night for their season-best fifth straight victory.

“I really consider ourselves fortunate nobody got hurt,” Bochy said of the early play. “It’s amazing: What can go wrong is going wrong right now. We didn’t catch that ball and they scored a run.”

Nick Hundley doubled against Ramon Ramirez (2-2) to start the ninth, then Logan Forsythe sacrificed him to third before Gonzalez singled up the middle. After a wild pitch, Will Venable added a run-scoring single.

Erik Hamren (1-0) retired pinch-hitter Miguel Tejada on a lineout to end the Giants’ three-run eighth for his first major league win. Heath Bell finished for his 35th save in 39 opportunities.

The reigning World Series champion Giants fell two games behind the first-place Diamondbacks in the NL West after Arizona won at Washington.

Mat Latos didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, but the Padres’ bullpen couldn’t hold a three-run lead.

Recent call-up Hector Sanchez singled in the eighth for his first major league hit and RBI, then Orlando Cabrera followed with a tying RBI single that chased Luke Gregerson.

But pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran popped out to end the eighth a few hours after he was activated from the disabled list. He received a roaring ovation from the sellout crowd of 41,288 when he stepped into the batter’s box.

“We gave up the three in the (eighth), but in the dugout there was still positive energy,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “That was a huge momentum shift to the Giants and we got it back.”

Jesus Guzman and Cameron Maybin each hit an RBI single for the Padres, who kicked off an eight-game road trip and a stretch with 30 straight games against division foes.

Blanks’ second-inning drive was the first home run allowed by Matt Cain in 13 starts since June 14 at Arizona.

The Giants, back in their ballpark by the bay for a season-long 12-game homestand, also hurt their cause with three errors. San Diego overcame two blunders of its own.

Chris Stewart broke up Latos’ no-hit bid with a bloop single to center leading off the fifth.

Latos allowed only Cody Ross’ two-out walk in the second before running into trouble in the fourth. The right-hander retired the first two batters, then walked the bases loaded for Aaron Rowand, but he grounded out. Ross hit an RBI double in the eighth.

After Maybin’s third-inning RBI single, Cain retired the next 10 batters in order before giving up a leadoff single to Orlando Hudson in the seventh.

Hudson fouled a ball off his right foot in the eighth and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. He walked it off and drew a walk on the next pitch from Steve Edlefsen.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alberto Gonzalez hit a go-ahead single in the ninth inning, Kyle Blanks had a two-run homer and the San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 7-5 on Tuesday night for their season-best fifth straight victory.

Nick Hundley doubled against Ramon Ramirez (2-2) to start the ninth, then Logan Forsythe sacrificed him to third before Gonzalez singled up the middle. Will Venable followed with a run-scoring single.

Erik Hamren (1-0) retired pinch-hitter Miguel Tejada on a lineout to end the Giants’ three-run eighth for his first major league win. Heath Bell finished for his 35th save in 39 opportunities.

The reigning World Series champion Giants fell two games behind the first-place Diamondbacks in the NL West after Arizona won at Washington.

Mat Latos didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, but the Padres’ bullpen couldn’t hold a three-run lead.

Recent call-up Hector Sanchez singled in the eighth for his first major league hit and RBI, then Orlando Cabrera followed with a tying RBI single that chased Luke Gregerson.

But pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran popped out to end the eighth a few hours after he was activated from the disabled list. He received a roaring ovation from the sellout crowd of 41,288 when he stepped into the batter’s box.

Jesus Guzman and Cameron Maybin each hit an RBI single for the Padres, who kicked off an eight-game road trip and a stretch with 30 straight games against division foes.

Blanks’ second-inning drive was the first home run allowed by Matt Cain in 13 starts since June 14 at Arizona.

The Giants, back in their ballpark by the bay for a season-long 12-game homestand, also hurt their cause with three errors. San Diego overcame two blunders of its own.

Chris Stewart broke up Latos’ no-hit bid with a bloop single to center leading off the fifth.

Latos allowed only Cody Ross’ two-out walk in the second before running into trouble in the fourth. The right-hander retired the first two batters, then walked the bases loaded for Aaron Rowand, but he grounded out. Ross hit an RBI double in the eighth.

After Maybin’s third-inning RBI single, Cain retired the next 10 batters in order before giving up a leadoff single to Orlando Hudson in the seventh.

Hudson fouled a ball off his right foot in the eighth and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. He walked it off and drew a walk on the next pitch from Steve Edlefsen.

The Giants scored two in the sixth, getting a break on Guzman’s gaffe at first base. Guzman fielded Brandon Belt’s sharp grounder, held onto the ball trying to freeze the runner and then opted to throw home rather than make the routine out at first. His throw was wild and well up the third-base line for a two-run error.

Cain was charged with an error when he apparently missed the bag while covering first on Hudson’s grounder leading off the second. Blanks then homered on an 0-2 pitch.

The three errors matched San Francisco’s season high and gave the Giants 92 on the season.

Things aren’t going well for the defending champs.

San Francisco placed five players on the disabled list during its recent 4-6 road trip and six others missed time with injuries.

The Giants added to that list Tuesday but also got some good news with Beltran’s return from a strained right hand and wrist. The switch-hitter hopes to start Wednesday night.

San Francisco put left-handed starter Jonathan Sanchez on the 15-day DL with a sprained left ankle. Outfielder Nate Schierholtz was in a walking boot for a broken bone in his right foot. There was no timeline for when he might play again.

There was another scare early when first baseman Aubrey Huff tried to chased down Guzman’s ball in foul territory and right fielder Ross charged in, slid low and took Huff down. Huff was slow getting up but stayed in the game.

NOTES: Blanks has hit safely in 14 of his last 18 games since Aug. 5 — getting six homers and 18 RBIs in that span. … Cain committed his third error of the season, matching the most of his career, also done in 2006. … Maybin, San Diego’s CF who wears No. 24 like Hall of Famer Willie Mays, got to meet the Say Hey Kid at his Bay Area home Tuesday. … The Giants committed only 73 errors in 2010. … RHP Tim Lincecum (11-10) pitches Wednesday night for the Giants looking for his third win in four starts this season vs. San Diego. He is 7-4 with a 2.16 ERA lifetime in 16 career starts against the Padres. … Tim Stauffer (8-9) takes the mound for San Diego looking to improve on his 3-5 road record.