A little jolt came in the ninth inning, but it was too little too late for the road Rockies. 

In the ninth, Connor Joe, batting leadoff for the fourth game in a row with Raimel Tapia on the injured list, hit a two-run home run to left with one out in the ninth to put the Rockies’ within one. Brendan Rodgers then hit a deep single, and Charlie Blackmon followed with a hit of his own.

But that was it for the rally, as CJ Cron struck out swinging to end the game as the Rockies fell to the Giants 5-4. 

“It was a good game, we came back and just fell one swing short,” manager Bud Black said. 

This game will leave a sour taste for a different reason: unlike in most road contests this year, the Rockies actually had a chance, even if it didn’t come until the ninth. Things clicked at the plate, even if starting pitching was not their strong suit for the second night in a row, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference. 

Austin Gomber has had trouble against the Giants this year, and in April he made it just 1.2 innings before he was removed after giving up nine runs. After that game, they speculated that he may have been tipping, or that the Giants knew his signs. Gomber wouldn’t reveal what they discovered, but did say that he made some changes after that. 

On Friday, things looked as though they were heading down the same path as that breezy early season game. He struggled through a 35-pitch first inning, where he gave up four earned runs. His biggest mistake was a changeup that Wilmer Flores launched for a three-run homer. 

“They battled him,” Black said. “This is a good offensive team with good veteran players.”

Gomber’s fastball was effective, but his secondary pitches were off. He made adjustments after the second inning, and made it through the third and fourth innings without giving up a run. 

“There’s a reason they’re the best in baseball right now,” Gomber said. “You give up four in the first and then you lose 5-4, it stings. I thought the rest of the team did a fantastic job.”

The bullpen held it together, and Yency Almonte, Robert Stephenson, Tyler Kinley and Carlos Estévez put together scoreless relief innings to prevent the Giants from extending their lead.

The Rockies’ offense had some life in it, with 11 hits on Friday, a big improvement for the team, which had just three the night before and five a piece in the two games in Houston prior to that. 

CJ Cron, continuing his hot month, had three hits, including a RBI single. Rodgers, back after missing four games with a hand contusion, extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Blackmon also had had two hits. McMahon extended his hitting streak to 10 games, a career-high.