Giants, healthy Holland look to upend Rockies
San Francisco Giants left-hander Derek Holland returns from a stint on the injured list to start Wednesday night's game at the Colorado Rockies, with his team looking for second straight win in Denver.
Holland (1-4, 5.34 ERA) suffered a bone bruise on his left index finger last week but is set to pitch after spending the 10-day minimum on the IL. He did not make a rehab start but threw a three-inning simulated game last Friday.
The 32-year-old Holland has lost his last three starts, giving up 13 runs in 16 innings. One of those outings came against the Rockies on April 14, when he surrendered four runs on four hits and four walks in six innings and took the loss that began the losing streak.
In his last start, Holland gave up six runs on six hits in five innings against the New York Yankees on April 27. He was in control until a five-run fifth.
"I tried to get him through the inning," manager Bruch Bochy told MLB.com. "That's my fault. I had (reliever Trevor) Gott up, but I felt like (Holland) still had the stuff and was making good pitches against those guys. He made a mistake there."
Holland, who was place on the injured list two days later, is 1-3 with a 6.18 ERA in five starts against the Rockies.
Colorado right-hander Jon Gray makes his second start of the season against the Giants. He allowed a run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings on April 11 but took the loss as the Rockies were shut out. Gray is 0-3 with a 5.18 ERA in seven career starts versus San Francisco.
Gray retired the first six Milwaukee Brewers in his last start before ultimately giving up five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The Rockies will be looking for Gray to stop a streak of four straight subpar starts by Colorado pitchers. The latest came in Tuesday's 14-4 loss when Antonio Senzatela allowed seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
San Francisco hit three home runs off Senzatela and Rockies starting pitchers have given up 38 homers in 36 games. Rockies pitchers including relievers have given up homers in 12 straight games.
"I don't like to give up home runs, but I'd rather have us be on the attack than to have us walk guys," manager Bud Black told the Denver Post. "Homers are the result of balls up in the strike zone. We have to get the ball down."
Mac Williamson homered and drove in a career-high four runs in his 2019 debut in Tuesday's win.
The 28-year-old Williamson, who hit three home runs Monday night for Triple-A Sacramento, was called up Tuesday. His three-run homer broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth.
"That guy has got all the tools that anybody could ask for," starter and winning pitcher Madison Bumgarner told the San Jose Mercury News. "It's just taken him longer than people expected for him to put them together. If you could put together a baseball player, he's up there with what you would want."
Evan Longoria and Kevin Pillar also homered for San Francisco. Joe Panik had three hits and Brandon Belt had two doubles.
Charlie Blackmon and Chris Iannetta homered for the Rockies and Raimel Tapia had three hits.
--Field Level Media