Giants 7, Rockies 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Jim Brower made sure his arm was tired when he took the mound this time.

He didn’t look fatigued at all.

Brower pitched six sharp innings and matched his career high with seven strikeouts, combining with three relievers on a five-hitter as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 7-0 on Friday night.

When Brower (6-2), a converted reliever, made his last start Sunday at Arizona, he was so fresh he overthrew the ball and couldn’t locate the plate. It was a disaster—six runs and four hits in 1 1-3 innings.

“I got killed at Arizona,” he said. “As a starter, you have to sit around for four days and think about it. I was too strong. I prepared a little more intensely.”

Pedro Feliz hit a two-run homer, Rich Aurilia added a three-run triple and Barry Bonds went 3-for-4, doubled twice and scored a run during San Francisco’s five-run sixth. He threw out Jay Payton at second from left field in the seventh.

Colorado’s Todd Helton doubled in the ninth, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. The Rockies lost their fifth straight road game to fall to 15-33 away from Coors Field, including 1-5 at Pacific Bell Park.

Colorado has been shut out three times this season, twice in San Francisco. The Giants got their seventh shutout of the year and first since June 27 against Oakland.

“Two big innings for them, none for us,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “They’ve outpitched us, outhit us and outgloved us two nights in a row.”

Brower allowed three hits and walked one in his third start this month after 27 relief appearances to start the year.

The right-hander moved into the rotation when starter Damian Moss was sent to the bullpen for a short stint to work out some of his problems. Brower remained a starter when Kirk Rueter strained his shoulder July 8 against St. Louis and went on the 15-day disabled list.

“He’s making the decision for us the way he’s throwing the ball,” San Francisco manager Felipe Alou said of Brower’s starting status. “Even the one bad outing in Arizona, his stuff was incredible.”

Jason Christiansen, Joe Nathan and Felix Rodriguez finished the five-hitter.

Brower retired 16 of the first 18 Colorado hitters, striking out six through the first three innings. After allowing a single to Mark Bellhorn in the third, he got eight straight outs before Chris Stynes’ single in the sixth.

Helton then walked and Brower was visited on the mound by pitching coach Dave Righetti. Preston Wilson popped out to end the inning.

Brower insists he just wants to pitch, whether it’s as a starter or reliever—but he does want one more start. The Giants play four games against the Diamondbacks next week during their 11-game homestand, and Brower would appreciate a chance to redeem himself.

“I prefer to pitch. I would love to do either,” he said. “I would just like one more.”

Feliz, making a rare start at third, connected on an 0-1 pitch from Darren Oliver (7-6) in the third for a 2-0 lead. Ray Durham hit a one-out double before Feliz’s shot to the left-field bleachers, his ninth homer of the year.

Feliz also made two straight tough defensive stops in the fifth.

Regular third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo had three hits Thursday night, but Alou opted to start Feliz because Alfonzo is 1-for-17 lifetime against Oliver.

Feliz, whose hit snapped an 0-for-16 slump, has 129 at-bats this season, only 17 fewer than he had in all of 2002.

“When you see your name in the lineup more times, it makes you feel more confident,” he said.

Oliver was trying to match a career best of five straight wins. He gave up six runs and nine hits in five innings, walking one.

He loaded the bases with none out in the sixth with an intentional walk to Jose Cruz Jr. Marquis Grissom hit a leadoff single and Bonds doubled. Aurilia, who had three hits and two RBIs on Thursday night, hit a three-run triple off the wall in right-center. The hit chased Oliver, who gave way to Steve Reed.

Reed allowed an RBI single to Andres Galarraga and an RBI double topinch-hitter Tony Torcato as the Giants built a 7-0 lead.

Notes

New Rockies SS Tony Womack, acquired in a trade Friday with Arizona, arrived in the bottom of the fourth inning and was in uniform. … Brower struck out seven one other time, Aug. 3, 2001, at San Diego while playing for Montreal. He improved to 1-1 lifetime in nine career appearances against theRockies. … Alou won his 750th game as a manager.