MEDIA CLIPS – April 13, 2016

Homers too much for Rockies vs. Shark

By Thomas Harding and Owen Perkins / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | April 13th 2016

DENVER -- The Giants swatted three two-out, two-run homers -- one by Hunter Pence in the fifth and two by Trevor

Brown, in the sixth and eighth -- to defeat the Rockies, 7-2 , at Coors Field on Tuesday night.

Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (1-0) provided an eight-inning, 111-pitch outing the Giants envisioned when they signed him to a five-year, $90 million contract during the offseason. He struck out five -- including reigning Player of the Week three times -- and yielded six hits in eight innings. He also kept a Rockies team that had hit 17 homers in its first six games in the ballpark. It was just the second homerless start in the last 11, dating to last season, for

Samardzija.

"This is the kind of stuff he has," manager Bruce Bochy said of his starter. "He's a guy that just goes with confidence.

When he knows he's on top of his game, he attacks the hitters on both sides. He's a competitor. And to go eight innings --

I was thinking maybe six, seven, but I couldn't take him out. He just got better as he went."

Pence's homer and the first by Brown marred the outing of Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood (1-1), who gave up 11 hits but had chances to escape with fewer than the five runs charged his way in six innings.

"The biggest thing is it cost us the game; that's the hardest thing to swallow," Chatwood said. "But I can build off it, keep going forward, see what happened and go from there."

Brown took Jason Gurka deep to achieve his first career multi-homer game, giving him three hits for the season -- all homers. The Giants extended their club-record streak of games with a homer to start the season to eight.

"If I was thinking about the entire season, I would have thought I might end with three homers," Brown said. "And -- knock on wood -- I might still end with three, but I certainly didn't think my first three hits were going to be home runs." 1

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Two-out rallies: The Giants touched Chatwood for a pair of two-out rallies in the fifth and sixth innings. Joe Panik kept the fifth inning alive with a two-out double over third base and down the left-field line, setting up Pence's go-ahead blast, and Angel Pagan used his speed to beat out a possible double-play grounder in the sixth, saving an at-bat for Brown that padded the lead. Pagan was at it again in the eighth with a two-out single to set Brown up for an encore.

Gambled and lost: With two on and two out in the fifth, Nolan Arenado popped a Samardzija pitch into no-man's land in shallow left. scored from second, and third-base didn't hesitate to send Carlos

Gonzalez, who was coming from first. However, Giants left fielder Pagan beat Gonzalez with an accurate throw to the plate.

"The ball fell in, and Angel did a great job recovering and made a great throw there," Bochy said. "That could have really done a lot of damage, and they're still hitting. There's no question that helped save the game there with that throw. It saves pitches for Jeff. Defense can win games for you, and that certainly helped."

End of Story: Samardzija held Story hitless for the first time in his career. He challenged the rookie with a four-seam on the first pitch he threw him, then threw nothing but sinkers and cutters, earning a groundout and three straight against the rookie phenom.

"I threw him a couple really good 0-0 pitches that had to put him in swing mode," Samardzija said. "When you go 1-0, 2-0, he can be a little more selective and look for something over the plate. But if you're putting him 0-1, making good pitches after that, it puts any good hitter on his heels. I wasn't throwing him anything straight after the first pitch. I was going to show him one straight one at the beginning, and after that, he would have to guess whether it was a cutter or a sinker, because he's just too hot right now."

Story ended the game without a hit or an RBI for the first time in his career. Granted, it's just seven games, but with seven home runs and 12 RBIs in the first six, that's saying something.

• Story seeings results of offseason program

Too much and just right: A career of highlight-reel throws helped lead the Rockies to sign left fielder Gerardo Parra for three years and $27.5 million. He tested the arm twice in the third inning. The first time, however, he overthrew the cutoff and was off the mark on a throw to the plate when Denard Span scored on Pence's single. The throw let Pence take

2 second. Parra, however, atoned by throwing Pence out at the plate on Belt's single. According toStatcast™, Parra's throw clocked at 94.3 mph and traveled 231.1 feet.

QUOTABLE

"He painted and he didn't make too many mistakes. When you pitch like that, you're going to have good games. We didn't have too many opportunities and he didn't work with many tough situations." -- Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez on

Samardzjia's effectiveness.

"He's just a good player that keeps getting better and better. I always felt even when he first got to the big leagues, the offense was going to come because he works so hard and he's got a great feel for the game." -- Rockies manager Walt

Weiss on second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who has at least one hit in all seven Rockies games and is two games shy of his career-best.

WHAT'S NEXT

Giants: Jake Peavy (0-0, 7.20) makes his second start of the season Wednesday at 5:40 p.m. PT. He earned a no- decision Thursday in a game the Giants went on to win over the Dodgers. He pitched five innings and allowed four runs on 10 hits while walking none and striking out three.

Rockies: Righty Jordan Lyles (0-1, 13.50) will be trying to eliminate the taste of a bad first outing -- 3 1/3 innings, five runs against the Padres -- when he faces the Giants on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. MT.

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Parra shows off arm against Giants Left fielder regrets attempt to nab Span, but atones with throw to erase Pence

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | April 13th 2016

DENVER -- Tuesday night's 7-2 loss to the Giants gave left fielder Gerardo Parra a couple of chances to show off the throwing arm that helped him to two Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and led the Rockies to sign him for three years and

$27.5 million. But he needed to capitalize on the second to make up for how he handled the first.

With two out in the third inning and Denard Span at second base, Parra scooped Hunter Pence's single off Tyler

Chatwood and tried to throw out Span at the plate. An accurate throw might have been sufficient, but Parra noted that even throwing to the plate was an unnecessary risk. The throw was high and wide of the plate, and Pence took second base wth the game tied at 1.

"I tried to throw hard, down, and it took off," Parra said. "I feel mad. I didn't throw to the cutoff. That's not me."

Redemption came when the next hitter, Brandon Belt, singled to Parra, who made a throw that was impressive to the eye and to the metrics to erase Pence.

According to Statcast™, the throw was clocked at 94.3 mph -- faster than many ' -- and traveled 231.1 feet. He needed just 0.57 seconds to pull the ball from his glove and fire.

"I wanted to protect my pitcher," Parra said. "It was my fault that [Pence] was at second because of my first throw. We made an out at home plate. That's good for me and I'm happy for Chatwood."

Of course, a left fielder with a lesser arm might not have been tempted to throw to the plate the first time. But if that's the curse, Parra and the Rockies will accept the blessing. Throws like the one that beat Pence can win games.

"It's hard, but I've got to keep it in my mind that I need to make a good throw," Parra said. "It's hard when I throw like that.

I work hard every day to help my team."

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Lyles looks to reverse fortunes against Giants

By Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com | April 12th 2016

Jake Peavy brings a veteran presence to the mound at Coors Field when he faces the Rockies in the middle game of a three-game set Wednesday. The Giants right-hander has almost as many starts against the Rockies (22) as Colorado starter Jordan Lyles has against the Giants (26 1/3). Peavy is 7-7 with a 3.90 ERA in 140 2/3 innings against Colorado, while Lyles has struggled at 1-2 with a 5.81 ERA against San Francisco.

Things to know about this game

• , who sat out Tuesday with a sore foot, should be champing at the bit to get to bat at Coors Field. He has the highest batting average of any active player at Coors Field, starting the series as a career .396 hitter in Colorado. He's played 46 games at the park, tallying nine home runs and 34 RBIs.

• Nolan Arenado hits Peavy at a .455 (5-for-11) clip over the course of his career. He has a homer and three RBIs, while also posting three strikeouts. Arenado hit .333 (25-for-75) against the Giants in 2015, blasting 10 home runs and 24 RBIs in 19 games against the division rivals.

• There are three Giants with 10 or more at-bats against Lyles, and they all hit .333 or better against him. Gregor Blanco is

5-for-10 (.500) with a double, a homer and two RBIs against the right-hander. Angel Pagan is 4-for-10 (.400) with a double, an RBI and a stolen base, and Hunter Pence is .333 (4-for-12) with a homer and two RBIs.

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Story seeing results of offseason program Rockies rookie's swing had power potential, unlocked by leg work

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | April 12th 2016

DENVER -- Rockies shortstop and reigning National League Player of the Week Trevor Story had been told his power would come, and he began to see it last year.

No one saw seven home runs in the season's first six games from Story, 23, who had never appeared in the Majors before . But power from the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Story is not a complete surprise. His is a swing with "lift," and with the leg strength that accounts for some of the 25 pounds he has put on since being drafted 45th overall in 2011, it's a homer-producing combination. He hit a career-high 20 homers last year in 130 games at Double-A New Britain and

Triple-A Albuquerque.

"I noticed that some of the balls that didn't get out the year before were getting out," Story said. "That's just a testament to our offseason program.

"I've heard that a lot, that I have a little bit of lift to my swing. For me, when I'm giving my best swing, the ball's a line drive or in the air. If it's on the ground, it's not my best swing."

Story's mission is to keep his mind on preparation and the fundamentals of his swing. He said the media attention that has come with first-week success hasn't been a detriment.

"I realize that handling the media is part of the game -- a big part of the game," Story said. "It's a way of reaching out to the fans and all that great stuff. But I have a set time for it, I handle it then, and after that it's time to play ."

Manager Walt Weiss's strategy of putting Story second in the order has been part of the success. While leadoff man Charlie Blackmon has had little fortune (.111 batting average entering Tuesday), he is forcing pitchers to work. And

Story has Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado behind him. For Tuesday's game against the Giants, Weiss moved pitcher Tyler Chatwood to the No. 8 hole. That slid DJ LeMahieu, who hit safely in each of the first six games and started with five multi-hit games, into the nine-hole for the potential of an extra runner on base when the lineup gets to Story.

Weiss batted the pitcher eighth several times last season.

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"It was a good spot for him right out of the gate -- for a young kid it's the most protected spot in the lineup," Weiss said of

Story. "He's got power. I like thump in the two-hole. It's the perfect spot."

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Gray has encouraging first rehab start De La Rosa not concerned about velocity; Anderson has bullpen session

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | April 12th 2016

DENVER -- Rockies rookie right-handed pitcher Jon Gray, who pitched a solid and pain-free 4 2/3 innings for Class A

Advanced Modesto on Sunday in his first injury rehab start, will make another for Modesto on Friday as he completes his comeback from an abdominal strain he suffered in .

Gray gave up four hits and struck out three while throwing 64 pitches Sunday and took the loss against Stockton. He fanned the first three hitters he faced. Of greater importance to the Rockies, he was reportedly pain-free and solid mechanically. His start Friday will be under an 85-pitch limit.

"All positive stuff," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He came out of it healthy and threw the ball well.

"He's not really built up. He threw 64 pitches, and that's as many pitches as he's thrown all spring. We thought we needed him to make another start, go a little bit deeper."

• Left-hander 's fastball has averaged 90.3 mph in two starts and was especially down Saturday night in his last start. De La Rosa, whose next outing is scheduled for Friday against the Cubs at , insisted nothing was wrong and velocity isn't the reason he has a 12.46 ERA.

"I don't worry about velocity; location is what I worry about," De La Rosa said. "My location wasn't there both games." De

La Rosa threw an intense bullpen session Tuesday, but said doesn't believe bullpens can solve all problems. "I have to wait until I get into the game to see if it works, but I work on some things, and I'll study the video," he said.

• Left-hander , coming back from a right oblique strain suffered in March, threw his first bullpen session since the injury -- 25 pitches -- at the club's complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Tuesday.

• Righty reliever Jason Motte (right shoulder strain) has reported to Scottsdale and could be cleared for limited throwing in the next couple of days.

• Infielder Daniel Descalso (fractured left hand) checked out fine with doctors in Scottsdale on Tuesday. He's allowed out of his brace to do range-of-motion exercises for about a week before being checked again.

• Lefty (anxiety) threw a bullpen session in Scottsdale on Monday (35 pitches), but hasn't been cleared to face hitters.

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San Francisco Giants beat the Rockies 7-2 behind a stellar start from Jeff Samardzija Jeff Samardzija and Trevor Brown put a beat down on the Rockies Tuesday night.

By Nick Stephens / Purple Row | @n1ckstephens | April 12th 2016

Despite not having Buster Posey in the lineup, the Giants cruised to an easy 7-2 victory over the Rockies. Tyler Chatwood got roughed up for five runs on 11 hits in six innings of work, while Jeff Samardzija tossed a gem, going eight innings and allowing just two runs.

The Rockies got on the board first when Nick Hundley grounded into a run-scoring double play in the second inning.

The Giants quickly countered with a run of their own after Denard Span doubled and Hunter Pence drove him in with a base hit to left field. Gerardo Parra attempted to cut down the tying run, but fired the ball way off target, allowing Span to score with ease. Parra was quickly tested again when Brandon Belt singled to left field, and Parra threw a strike to home plate to nail the go-ahead run.

The Rockies nearly bounced back the next inning to re-take the lead, but couldn’t cash in with a runner on third and one out as Trevor Story and Carlos Gonzalez couldn’t come through.

The Giants started to figure out Chatwood in the top of the fifth, as Joe Panik doubled and was scored on a 455 foot, two- run off the bat of Hunter Pence.

The Rockies lucked into a run to bring the score to 3-2 after Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan misplayed a Nolan

Arenado pop up, scoring Charlie Blackmon. Carlos Gonzalez attempted to score on the play as well, but was thrown at home plate.

The Giants started to pull ahead after another two-run homer, this time from Buster Posey’s backup Trevor Brown (of course), giving the Giants a 5-2 lead.

Brown came through again in the eighth (well, duh), hitting another two-run home run off of Jason Gurka to officially put the game out of reach as the Giants extended their lead to five.

Carlos Gonzalez reached base in the bottom of the ninth, but the Rockies were unable to put together a rally and went out quietly as the Giants took game one of the series.

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Colorado Rockies prospects: , shine Kyle Freeland delivered his second consecutive quality start for Double-A Hartford while Eddie Butler shut down the Reno Aces on Tuesday night. Max White and David Hill were the top performers in High and Low-A, respectively.

By Issac Marks / Purple Row | @IssacSMarks | April 13th 2016

Triple A: 3, Reno Aces 2: Albuquerque won their second game of the season Tuesday night, 3-

2, behind a strong start from Eddie Butler. Butler went six innings and gave up only four hits and one run to go with a walk and four strikeouts. After a brilliant start to Spring Training, Carlos Estevez (no. 24 PuRP) made an impact on Rockies land, but has continued to struggle with command since then; he gave up two hits, walked two, and allowed a run in the six batters he faced. Sam Moll (no. 25 PuRP) came in and shut down the threat, striking out three in his 1.1 innings of work. Dustin Garneau recorded three hits and Jordan Patterson (no. 18 PuRP) drove in two for the Topes. All three of Albuquerque’s runs came off of Aces starter Branden Shipley, who was tossed in the first inning arguing balls and strikes.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 0, New Hampshire River Dogs 4: The Yard Goats struggled to get it going against

New Hampshire’s Shane Dawson, only recording five hits in a 4-0 shutout. Kyle Freeland (no. 8 PuRP) had a second consecutive solid start, going six innings, allowing five hits and two runs along with a walk and three strikeouts. Ryan

McMahon (no. 5 PuRP), Ramiel (no. 6 PuRP) and Correlle Prime each recorded a hit for the Yard Goats, who fell to 4-2 on the season.

High-A: 13, Bakersfield Blaze 3: Modesto took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second and never looked back off of a three run home run from Max White after being interviewed by our own Bobby DeMuro. White rode the Purple

Row boost for three hits, two runs and 4 RBI to lead the way for the Nuts. Modesto starter was dealing from the outset, allowing zero runs through his 5.1 innings and striking out nine. Forrest Wall (no. 11 PuRP) also had two hits.

Low-A: Asheville Tourists 1, Charleston Riverdogs 2: The Tourists were locked in a pitching duel between the

Riverdogs Domingo Acevedo and David Hill (no. 34 PuRP), but gave up a run in the bottom of the 8thto drop the game 2-

1. Acevedo, the 7th ranked prospect in the Yankees system, struck out eight Tourists in 6.2 innings. Hill was just as effective, pitching six solid innings with only five hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts. Brendan Rodgers (no. 4

PuRP) had one hit and catcher Chris Rabago drove in the only run for Asheville.

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Colorado Rockies Top 5 shortstop prospects for 2016. An outline of the shortstop depth on the Rockies farm.

By Charlie Drysdale / Purple Row | @CharlieDrysdale | April 13th 2016

The Rockies created a vacuum at shortstop with the trade of this past summer. In return Colorado brought in veteran Jose Reyes, but the former Met is now facing a possible suspension due to domestic abuse charges and Major

League baseball has placed him on administrative leave to start the year.

The loss of both veteran players leaves a black hole at the shortstop position without established veterans to fill it.

Fortunately, the organization has plenty of talented players and a couple who may be future All-Stars. At the moment, it's hard to believe there's a player who is thought of with higher regard than Trevor Story, but Brendan Rodgers brings a lot to the table and has scouting experts drooling over him.

This is a subjective list of the five best Rockies shortstops on the farm based on a mix of overall rankings from our own

PuRPs list, and MLB.com. In the absence of a ranking, then I used ceiling or relative closeness to the major leagues as a determining factor.

1) Brendan Rodgers, (PuRP-4, BA-3, MLB-1)

6-foot-0, Weight 180 lbs, 1st round (3rd) of the 2015 draft

Ranked as high as No. 9 by MLB.com, Brendan was considered the premier position player in the 2015 draft stable, but fell to the third slot behind more experienced college level players. Baseball America was one of the highest publications on the young shortstop prior to the draft and had the following to say about him.

Rodgers has plus raw power and an advanced hitting approach that gives him a chance to be an above-average hitter with above-average power. Rodgers has more present strength than most top high school shortstops. As one scouting director explained. his body looks like that of a college shortstop.

It's likely the Rockies will take their time moving Brendan through the organization as even the most talented high school shortstops need seasoning before they're ready for the big leagues. Houston's as an example, spent three years in the minors playing at five different levels before he cemented himself in the Astros everyday lineup.

2) Trevor Story, (PuRP-7, BA-8, MLB-11)

6-foot-1, Weight 180 lbs, 1st round (45th) of the 2012 draft

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Announced prior to the season as the Rockies Opening Day starter, and then blasting seven home runs and winning NL

Player of the Week honors in his first seven games. Or as former minor league teammate Matt Carisiti put it, Story is on pace to hit a ton of home runs.

Story was drafted to be the heir apparent to Tulo, but no one could have predicted the early success he's had in filling

Troy's shoes. Selected in the later portion of the first round out of Irving High School in Texas; Trevor was considered highly by experts in the scouting community throughout his path in the minors and was ranked as high as No. 34 by

Baseball Prospectus in their top 100. The Texas native has shown tremendous power for his position, blasting 70 home runs in his minor league career and a .263/.348/.469 slash line.

Contact issues have plagued Story throughout his minor league career however-- he has only one season batting above

.300-- and high totals have limited his ceiling to this point. Story will be given every chance to succeed at the keystone infield position and the Rockies are lucky to have a prospect of his caliber to fill in while a veteran with an annual salary of $22 million is suspended.

3) Cristhian Adames, (PuRP-15, MLB-20)

6-foot-0, Weight 185 lbs, International Free Agent

Perhaps the best defensive infielder in the system, Cristhian Adames brings a lot of value to the Rockies for his soft hands and quick reflexes with the glove. The 24-year-old Dominican has spent eight seasons on the Rockies farm and for now appears to be more of an insurance policy for the club than anything else. Offensively the switch hitter has been average in many areas, but not really exceptional in one. In his career Adames has a .281/.348/.375 slash line while averaging eight steals and four home runs per year.

4) Carlos Herrera, (PuRP-30, MLB-28)

6-foot-0, Weight 145 lbs, International Free Agent

A highly regarded Latin prospect who the Rockies signed out of Venezuela for $1.2 million in 2013. Carlos Herrera has shown a high defensive IQ with the ability to play short, second and third base. Carlos really showed strides as an 18- year-old in the DSL last year when he batted .340/.386/.377 and earned a mid-season promotion to the United States.

Playing in a notoriously pitcher friendly league, Herrera hit a respectable .267 with a 100 wRC+ in 53 games for Boise to finish the year. Herrera's age and signing bonus gives him a higher value than many prospects and at just 19-years-old in the South Atlantic League he is currently two years younger than the league average.

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5) Jonathan Piron, (MLB-29)

6-foot-0, Weight 175 lbs, International Free Agent

The young infielder raised a lot of eyebrows when he launched 11 home runs in Grand Junction last season. Piron has good size for a middle infielder and a smooth left handed swing. At 21 Piron is age appropriate for the SAL and his combination of power and speed, including 46 career stolen bases, makes the Dominican an enticing prospect to watch.

Piron is part of a loaded middle infield for the Tourists and will likely spend time at all the infield positions besides first base just to balance out the playing time. The left handed batter tends to strike out a lot, so contact will be a big part of his development in Low-A Asheville this season.

Honorable Mentions:

Max George, 5-foot-9, Weight 180 lbs, 6th round of the 2014 Draft

A member of the high school team coached by Walt Weiss at Regis, George drew a lot of attention his senior year due to his athleticism. The Rockies took a flyer in the sixth round on the Colorado native who was already committed to Oregon until the Rockies made an offer of $625,000, well above slot value, to lure him away from school. George worked through injuries last season which limited his production, but was a stand out in Grand Junction in 2014 when he posted a

.301/.433/.463 line in 46 games. George began the year at Low-A Asheville where, at 20-years-old, he'll be a year younger than the average hitter.

Pedro Gonzalez, (28-PuRP, 20-MLB) 6-foot-3, 160 lbs, International Free Agent

Although a position switch was confirmed by his former DSL teammates, Pedro still draws consideration for shortstop because of his age and the fact that it's possible in the future he could always go back. Carlos Herrera confided to me that he was surprised about the position switch and thinks Pedro is athletic enough to be a good infielder. Likely the Rockies saw his 25 errors last year and tall lanky frame as a good reason to switch him to the outfield.

Pedro had a torrid start to the 2015 season, blasting six home runs and posting an OPS above 1.000 to start the season.

The Dominican's size and arm strength are a bonus wherever he plays and his eight home runs were a DSL Rockies record. The DSL is a notorious pitchers park and in fact, his eight homers were higher than the 2014 and 2012 DSL

Rockies did as an entire team combined in those respective years.

Patrick Valaika, 5-foot-11, Weight 200 lbs, 9th round of the 2013 draft

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Patrick fell off the radar for many prospect watchers as he struggled in his first attempt at Double-A New Britain where he batted .235/.281/.361 with a 82 wRC+. It's good to remember that Valaika was 2.5 years younger than the competition at that time and even though he's repeating AA this year, at 23 he's still younger than the average Eastern League hitter.

The California native was part of a national championship in UCLA during the 2013 season which prompted the Rockies to select him in the ninth round. His best season was in Single-A Asheville where he posted a .270 average with a 168 wRC+. Valaika is a dark horse to contend for a utility position next season and could be on the radar for more if the circumstances dictate it.

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Tyler Chatwood takes the mound, bats eighth, as the Colorado Rockies open a series against the San Francisco Giants The Rockies will look to bounce back over the .500 mark in tonight's series opener.

By Jordan Freemyer / Purple Row | @jfreemyer | April 12th 2016

After salvaging a game in Sunday's series finale against the Padres, the Colorado Rockies will turn to right-hander Tyler

Chatwood on the mound as they look for a series-opening win against the San Francisco Giants.

Chatwood, who missed all of 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, has one of just two quality starts for the

Rockies' starting staff this season. In his first start of 2016, Chatwood pitched 6⅓ innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts in Arizona. He also got 12 groundouts against just two flyouts.

He will face a Giants lineup tonight that is without catcher/first baseman Buster Posey, who will miss the game with a foot injury. Posey's absence means that 24-year-oldTrevor Brown will be behind the plate for the Giants and batting eighth while Brandon Belt plays first base and bats cleanup. The Giants also have a new leadoff hitter this season in center fielder Denard Span. Aside from those changes, the Giants lineup looks awfully familiar to the one the Rockies saw last season.

On the mound for San Francisco is one of the Giants' big free agent acquisitions this winter in right-hander Jeff

Samardzija. The 31-year-old earned a no decision in his first start as a Giant in Milwaukee, allowing three runs on eight hits in 5⅓ innings against the Brewers with three walks and six strikeouts.

Samardzija has allowed 30 home runs since the start of the 2015 season, sixth-most in all of baseball, and he faces a

Rockies team tonight that leads the league with 17 home runs in 2016. This is just Samardzija's second career start at

Coors Field. He allowed just one run on a home run on four hits in 7⅓ innings in his only other Coors Field start in July of 2013.

The Rockies' lineup against Samardzija tonight looks a bit unorthodox toward the bottom, with Chatwood batting eighth and second baseman DJ LeMahieu batting ninth, presumably to get extra men on base for the likes of Trevor

Story and Carlos Gonzalez the second and third times through the order. Additionally, Mark Reynolds gets the start at first base tonight, batting sixth.

First pitch at Coors Field tonight is at 6:40 p.m. Mountain time.

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Adam Ottavino progresses; one more rehab start for Rockies’ Jon Gray

By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | April 12th 2016

Step-by-step, Rockies right-hander and former closer Adam Ottavino is coming back from last May’s Tommy John surgery.

In his last bullpen session, he threw breaking balls off the mound for the first time. He’ll do that again on Wednesday, and if all goes well, he’ll head back to the club’s spring training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. next week to slowly expand his throwing program.

There is no timetable for Ottavino’s return. It could be sometime around the All-Star Game in mid-July, but that is a very soft target date.

“I feel good, I’m making progress,” Ottavino said Tuesday before the Rockies hosted the Giants.

Here are some more injury updates:

** Right-handed starter Jon Gray will pitch another rehab assignment for High-A Modesto. He’s scheduled to pitch on

Friday, hiking his pitch count up to about 85 pitches, meaning he could pitch six innings.

Gray, recovering from a strained abdomen, made his first rehab start on Sunday for Modesto, throwing 64 pitches in 4 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits, struck out three and walked one.

“He felt great, 100 percent,” Rockies trainer Keith Dugger said. “He struck out the first three batters he faced.”

Manager Walt Weiss said Gray has made excellent progress.

“It was all positive stuff,” Weiss said. “He came out of it healthy and he threw the ball well. … We need him to make another start and get a little bit deeper (into the game).”

** Right-handed reliever Jason Motte, expected to be a big part of the back end of the bullpen, has yet to make his

Rockies debut, but he’s making some progress. He’s in Scottsdale, still healing his sore shoulder.

“He’s doing strengthening exercises,” Dugger said. “The next step for him is to start playing catch and we should see that in the next couple of days. He’s pain free. We are just letting it heal a little bit.”

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** Lefty starter Tyler Anderson (strained oblique) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session in Scottsdale Tuesday, and is making progress toward a rehab start.

** Infielder Dan Descaslo (broken hand) remains a long way from returning to the field. He’s scheduled to have his brace removed on April 25 or 26.

** Lefty starter Tyler Matzek (anxiety) is also in Scottsdale. He’s worked his way up to 35-pitch bullpen sessions.

“We are still just kind of going a bullpen at a time,” Dugger said.

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Trevor Story only part of Rockies' powerful, athletic lineup But early results have been a mixed bag of power and inconsistency

By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | April 12th 2016

The Rockies' offense has been a mixed bag in the early going, a mixture of impressive power and patches of inconsistency. But hitting coach Blake Doyle says the lineup has a chance to be a force in the National League.

"I think we are a more athletic lineup than last year," Doyle said Tuesday before the Rockies hosted San Francisco. "And I think we will be a more consistent lineup this year. I think you saw that in spring (training) and here early on. We are taking better at-bats, we're grinding out at-bats, and we are getting further into the count. What's happening is, we are making the opposition earn every out. There are no empty at-bats."

That's only partly true. Led by rookie shortstop Trevor Story's seven home runs in the first six games, the Rockies led the

National League with 17 homers entering Tuesday's play. However, their .333 on-base percentage ranked just eighth and their .275 team batting average was sixth. By comparison, opponents are hitting .342 against Colorado.

Doyle says the Rockies have "a long lineup," meaning they present trouble throughout the order. Yet in the early going, cleanup hitter Nolan Arenado (.217 average entering Tuesday), leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon (.111) and five-hole hitter

Gerardo Parra (.211) are struggling. That's bound to turn around soon.

Blackmon's take. A quick glance at Blackmon's average shows a hitter struggling to find his footing. But that .111 number entering a three-game series against the Giants may be misleading. Blackmon made good contact over his 20 plate appearances through the first week, but his .125 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) explains his bad luck in hitting right at opposing fielders.

"I'm right where I need to be," Blackmon said. "If I can consistently have these kinds of at-bats, I think I'll be successful this year."

Blackmon recorded just two hits in 18 at-bats against Arizona and San Diego, but he struck out only twice.

"I've had a couple at-bats that weren't very good, but that's going to happen," Blackmon said. "And there are a lot of at- bats that I've been very competitive and done a lot of things right and not had a lot to show for it."

Gray's anatomy. Right-handed starter Jon Gray will pitch another rehab assignment for high Single-A Modesto on Friday.

He'll hike his pitch count up to about 85 pitches, or about six innings. If that goes well, he could be in line to rejoin the

Rockies' rotation the next week. 18

Gray, recovering from a strained abdomen, made his first rehab start Sunday for Modesto, throwing 64 pitches in 4 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits, struck out three and walked one.

"He felt great, 100 percent," Rockies trainer Keith Dugger said. "He struck out the first three batters he faced."

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Kiszla: Trevor Story turned Colorado into the center of baseball's universe If aliens exist they are talking about Story's success

By Mark Kiszla / The Denver Post | @markkiszla | April 12th 2016

Thank you, Trevor Story.

Thank you for putting Denver back on the baseball map. I don't know if the rookie's home-run magic has reached its expiration date or our city's 15 minutes of fame and fun are done. But it has been an absolute blast.

"We're not used to getting national attention around here," Rockies manager Walt Weiss told me Tuesday. "And the attention that Trevor Story is getting not only has gone national, it probably crosses solar systems."

In a galaxy far, far away, as starship pilots chug stiff drinks in the Mos Eisley Cantina and the conversation in the dimly lit bar turns to baseball, you can bet the first words that have been spoken are: Trevor Story.

OK, I'm not sure whether you believe there's intelligent life in other solar systems. "But if it's out there, they're talking about Trevor Story," Weiss joked.

Story came out of nowhere, as big and bright as Halley's Comet. We craned our necks and smiled at the wonder of his seven home runs. In that regard, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was no different than you or me. CarGo watched the show put on by Story with the giddy delight of a kid stretched out on a blanket during Fourth of July fireworks.

"I love playing with great players. They motivate me. They push me. When I see a guy like Trevor Story raking after just getting called up to the major leagues, he brings me energy and takes me back to the feeling of excitement I had when I was a rookie," Gonzalez said.

"I told (Story) before his first at-bat in spring training: 'I want to have that feeling inside me that you have right now.' When you're a veteran, you can take this all for granted, like, 'OK, here we go, it's just another season, another at-bat, another game.' But, with him, it's all new. It's exciting. And it's contagious."

Now for the tricky part: Story captured the baseball universe's imagination. But how do the Rockies possibly hang in the tough National League West, much less keep the fickle attention of the Twitterverse, which can be gone in 60 seconds?

San Francisco came to town for a three-game series, and staged an unfriendly takeover, winning 7-2 and temporarily turning LoDo into the 415 area code, with fans dressed in pumpkin orange constantly chanting, "Let's go Giants."

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To prove he actually isn't Roy Hobbs wearing Rockies uniform No. 27, Story went hitless in four at-bats. It was the first game in his major-league career that he failed to get a hit or drive in a run.

If Story isn't mashing, then will broadcaster Rich Eisen be on Line 1, requesting an interview? And how long will it be before another scribe from Sports Illustrated is back in Coors Field to take note? Is this dusty old baseball cow town's 15 minutes of fame and fun done?

Yes, even after taking the collar against San Francisco, Story owns one more National League player of the week award than he did eight short days before stepped in the batter's box against Giants Jeff Samardzija.

It's still fun to do the crazy and fanciful projection math. Story, who hit more homers during the opening week of the season than Willie Mays or Mike Schmidt ever did, is on pace for 162 dingers. "I just try to hit the ball hard. If it gets up in the air and goes out, that's awesome," Story said. "I hope (fans) don't think I'm going to hit one every time, because that's not very realistic."

For a 23-year-old rookie shortstop, Story is wise beyond his years. He understands the cruel truth of a major-league ballpark, which dares a man to fail in public like few places this side of the dastardly 12th hole at Augusta National.

Samardzija made Story look silly, striking him out three times. The rookie sensation has now also whiffed 11 times. In that projection game, if he played 150 games, Story could also strike out 235 times, which would also set a single-season record.

That's not a prediction. We wish nothing but the best for Story. But his history in the minor leagues suggests that failure to make contact can be a big challenge for him. On-the-job training in the big leagues is not for the weak. The Trevor-ending

Story will sometimes thrill the crowd and sometimes test the patience of his manager.

The magic won't last. The memories will.

Thank you, Trevor Story.

For the first time since Rocktober 2007, you made Denver the center of the baseball universe. The happy sound of the bat's crack that launched each of your seven home runs reminded us what a blast that baseball can be around here.

It reminded us of what baseball should be in Colorado.

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Rockies shut down by Jeff Samardzija as San Francisco wins Giants aided by two home runs from Trevor Brown

By Patrick Saunders / The Denver Post | @psaundersdp | April 12th 2016

On a chilly, overcast evening more typical of San Francisco's AT&T Park than of Coors Field, the Rockies' offense was a no-show Tuesday night.

Giants starter Jeff Samardzija had a lot to do with that. And, given the high quality of the pitching in the National League

West, there could be more nights like this in store for Colorado.

Samardzija, the right-hander who signed a five-year, $90 million contract in the offseason, tied the Rockies in knots in the

Giants' 7-2 victory. Samardzija pitched eight innings, allowing only six singles. He stuck out five, walked two and was never in serious trouble.

Perhaps it should not have come as a surprise. In three previous starts against the Rockies, the veteran right-hander was

2-0 with a 2.01 ERA.

"He pitched good. His sinker and cutter were really working," said Carlos Gonzalez, who went 1-for-4. "He made some big pitches when he had to. We were never able to put much pressure on him, and he went deep into the game. Like I said, he pitched a good game."

Evidence of Samardzija's command was the manner in which he manhandled rookie shortstop Trevor Story, who entered the game with a record seven home runs in his first six games. But Story was overmatched Tuesday night. Samardzija got him to ground out to third base in the first inning, then struck him out with outside fastballs in the third, fifth and eighth.

Story went without a hit or an RBI for the first time in his young career.

The Rockies' defeat in front of a crowd of 20,814 — quiet except for the orange-clad fans behind the Giants' dugout — dropped them to 3-4 overall and 1-3 at Coors Field. That's not the home cooking Colorado is looking for after finishing 36-

45 in LoDo last season.

Colorado starter Tyler Chatwood went toe to toe with Samardzija in the early going, but then the Giants got to Chatwood in the fifth.

Chatwood, who at times in the early going has looked like the Rockies' best pitcher, held the Giants to one run on six hits through the first four innings. Effectively mixing a 94 mph fastball, a 77 mph curve and an effective changeup, he avoided major trouble. 22

But the Giants punished him for two mistakes. In the fifth, Hunter Pence jumped on a 1-2 fastball for a two-run homer to deep left-center. In the sixth, Trevor Brown mashed a two-run shot to deep left. Both Giants home runs came with two outs.

"Two pitches really killed me tonight," Chatwood said. "The pitch that Pence hit out was what we wanted: a down-and-in sinker. It got to the right spot, but he just beat me to the spot. The other one, I left the ball up and (Brown) hit it out of the park."

Brown later made it a career night — and salted the game away. He blasted a two-run homer off reliever Jason Gurka in the eighth, the first multihomer game of Brown's career, to go along with a career-high four RBIs. Even in four minor- league seasons, Brown had never hit two homers in the same game.

The Rockies entered the game with a National League-best 17 home runs, but they never came close to going deep

Tuesday night. With its three homers, San Francisco also has hit 17.

Trailing 3-1, the Rockies had a chance to tie the game in the fifth. With Charlie Blackmon at second and Carlos Gonzalez on first after each hit singles, Nolan Arenado dumped a bloop single to shallow left center. Blackmon scored, but

Gonzalez was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw from left fielder Angel Pagan.

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Trevor Story 0-for-4 vs. Giants' Jeff Samardzija in first hitless game

By Associated Press / ESPN.com | April 12th 2016

Jeff Samardzija did for the San Francisco Giants what the and Arizona Diamondbacks could not do this season -- hold Trevor Story hitless.

Story, the Colorado Rockies rookie shortstop who belted an MLB-record seven home runs in his first six games, went 0- for-4 Tuesday night in Denver.

Story struck out swinging three times and grounded out once against Samardzija, who went eight strong innings in the

Giants' 7-2 win.

Samardzija acknowledged Story's great start but said he was also worried about Rockies outfielders Carlos

Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra.

"Those big power lefties," said Samardzija, a right-hander. "We respect him as a player and we're going to keep pitching to him tough because he's proven what he can do."

Story, who averaged 14 home runs in his five minor league seasons, also entered Tuesday with 12 RBIs. His torrid start had put him on pace for 189 home runs and 324 RBIs this season.

But Samardzija used a masterful cut fastball to silence Story and the Rockies and claim his first win for the Giants after signing a $90 million, five-year contract in the offseason.

"If I told you I expected to hit seven home runs, I would be lying to you," Story said about his first week. "I really can't say that I thought it would be like this."

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Brown's 2 home runs lead Giants over Rockies, 7-2

By Associated Press / ESPN.com | April 12th 2016

DENVER -- Trevor Brown made the San Francisco roster with his defense. He's proving he can give the Giants some timely offense, too.

Brown hit a pair of two-run homers, Jeff Samardzija tossed eight solid innings to get his first win for San Francisco and the

Giants beat the Colorado Rockies7-2 on Tuesday night.

Hunter Pence also hit a two-run home run to help San Francisco win for the fourth time in the last five games.

Brown, starting at catcher in place of banged-up Buster Posey, hit a two-run homer off starter Tyler Chatwood (1-1) in the sixth and another off reliever Jason Gurka in the eighth.

It was Brown's first multihomer game of his career, and his four RBI were also a career high. His only other home run this season broke up a no-hit bid in the eighth inning against Chris Hatcher of the on Friday.

"We all know what we have in Buster, but to have another guy doing what he's doing, we're really excited for him,"

Samardzija said.

Brown is the first Giants player to hit a home run for his first three hits of the season since Kevin Mitchell did it in 1991.

"I was thinking the entire season I might end with three," Brown said. "Knock on wood, I still might. I didn't think my first three hits were going to be home runs. It's been a crazy first couple of games for me."

Just as impressive was his work behind the plate. He steered Samardzija through some tough middle innings to help him go deep into the game.

He also came up big defensively when he tagged out Carlos Gonzalez trying to score from first in the fifth inning.

"Normally I try to focus on the catching because it's my main job," Brown said. "It's fun to go out and have a good game on both sides."

Samardzija (1-0), who signed a $90 million, five-year contract in the offseason, tamed hitter-friendly Coors Field by scattering eight hits and striking out five. He allowed RBI singles to Mark Reynolds in the third and Nolan Arenado in the fifth.

He retired the next nine batters before leaving after throwing 111 pitches. Samardzija also got his first hit, a double, after

Brown's first home run.

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"I was thinking six, seven innings but I couldn't take him out," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He just got better as he went."

Samardzija was locked in a pitcher's duel with Chatwood until Pence broke a 1-all tie with his two-run homer in the fifth, his second of the season.

The Rockies got one back in the bottom of the inning when Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan let Arenado's blooper fall between them in the outfield, but Pagan threw out Gonzalez at home to keep the Giants ahead 3-2.

Pagan kept the sixth alive when he beat out a throw to first to avoid an inning-ending double play, and Brown followed with his first home run.

"I made two pitches that hurt me," Chatwood said. "The pitch that Pence hit out was what we wanted to do. It got to the spot and he beat me to the spot. The other two-run homer with two outs, I left the ball up and he hit out of the park."

Pagan reached again in the eighth off Gurka and stole second before Brown drilled another fastball into the left-field seats.

WEEK TO REMEMBER

Rockies rookie shortstop Trevor Story capped a historic start by winning NL Player of the Week honors. Story earned the award when he became the first major league player to hit seven home runs in the first six games of his career. He entered Monday leading the majors in homers and RBI (12), but he is trying to keep his torrid start in perspective.

"If I told you I expected to hit seven home runs, I would be lying to you," he said. "I really can't say that I thought it would be like this."

Samardzija helped keep Story grounded by fanning the rookie three times on breaking pitches. Story finished 0 for 4 and went without an RBI or a hit for the first time this season.

"Story, he's had a great start, but I'm worried about CarGo, (Gerardo) Parra, those big power lefties," Samardzija said.

"We respect him as a player and we're going to keep pitching to him tough because he's proven what he can do."

QUICK RESPONSE

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Parra has a strong outfield arm and he showed it off in the third when Denard Span scored from second on a single by

Pence. Parra went home with his throw, allowing Pence to advance to second. Brandon Belt followed with a single and this time Parra's throw cut down Pence at the plate.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Giants: C Posey was given the night off because of bruise on his right instep. Posey was hurt on a foul tip by the

Dodgers' Chase Utley on Sunday. Posey was available to pinch hit and is expected to be back in the lineup on

Wednesday. "We'll re-evaluate him tomorrow and if he needs another day then he's going to take it," Bochy said.

Rockies: RHP Jon Gray threw 64 pitches in a rehab start for Double-A Modesto on Sunday. Gray, who is recovering from a strained abdomen, is scheduled for another rehab start on Friday, when he will increase his pitch count to 85.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Jake Peavy (0-0, 7.20 ERA) makes his 23rd career start against the Rockies. He is 7-7 with a 3.90 ERA lifetime against Colorado.

Rockies: RHP Jordan Lyles (0-1, 13.50) was roughed up for five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against San Diego in

Colorado's home opener on Friday.

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