SAN FRANCISCO - It is not what Jeremy Affeldt did Monday night that created questions about the status of the Rockies left-hander.

It is that he didn't do anything in the Rockies' 4-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park, dropping the Rockies 4 1/2 games behind San Diego in the National League wild-card race with 31 games to play.

They remained 6 1/2 behind NL West-leading Arizona.

After Josh Fogg pitched six strong innings and left-hander Brian Fuentes worked a 1-2-3 seventh that included two strikeouts, the Giants put together a three- run rally against right-hander Jorge Julio in the eighth inning.

"Julio has faced the meat of the order more than anyone here," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We have used a lot of guys in the eighth, and he has been one who has been able to hold (the opposing team). It didn't happen (Monday)."

No argument with the success Julio has had since joining the Rockies, particularly of late. He had allowed only two earned runs in 19 2/3 innings of 16 games before retiring only one of six batters faced and giving up three runs against the Giants.

But the left-handed Affeldt has pitched in only one of the past eight games, none of the past four, which is contrary to Hurdle's use of the bullpen. And the Giants' eighth began with switch-hitting Randy Winn followed by left-handed hitters Barry Bonds and Ryan Klesko.

"We are just trying to give him a little blow because of his workload," Hurdle said.

And there are some other numbers that get hidden by statistics such as Affeldt having been unscored on in 13 of his past 14 appearances. He gave up five runs in an 11-9 loss at San Diego on Aug. 16 and three days later blew a save in relief of Julio in Los Angeles.

More telling: Left-handed hitters are hitting .407 off him since the All-Star break, and he has a 5.33 ERA on the road compared with 1.13 at Coors Field.

All of that added up to Julio getting a call that he couldn't answer.

Winn, Bonds and Klesko singled, loading the bases. Bengie Molina bounced to short, Troy Tulowitzki getting the forceout of Winn at home. But catcher Yorvit Torrealba's throw to first for a double play was wide.

Rich Aurilia then singled, driving in pinch runner Rajai Davis to give the Giants a 2-1 lead, and Kevin Frandsen delivered a two- run double, knocking out Julio.

Giants reliever Brian Wilson, who worked a scoreless eighth in relief of Barry Zito, earned the win. Brad Hennessey worked the ninth for his 15th save, 12th in a row. It is the longest save streak for a Giants reliever since Robb Nenn ran off 12 in a row in 2002.

Zito continued his second-half turnaround, allowing the Rockies only one run - a Brad Hawpe home run leading off the fifth - in seven innings. Hurdle said before the game he was playing Hawpe despite going against the left- handed Zito because of the nuances to right field at AT&T Park.

The home run, though, didn't cloud Hurdle's decision-making in the seventh, when the first two batters reached against Zito and Hawpe came up. Hurdle knew Hawpe's home run was only his third in 98 at-bats this year against left-handers, and his second-inning strikeout was his 37th against left-handers.

Hawpe put down a sacrifice.

"It gave us runners on second and third with one out," Hurdle said. "I was happy he hit a home run, but there was a lot of history to look at."

While Hawpe got his job done, it didn't pay off. Jamey Carroll bounced to third and rookie Ian Stewart, asked to pinch hit because of a bench that is short on position players to accommodate a 13th pitcher, struck out against Zito, who finally is starting to look like the pitcher the Giants envisioned when he signed a seven- year, $126 million free-agent contract last offseason.

"He has had success, and historically, the second half of the season has been his time," Hurdle said of Zito, 2-1 in seven games in August.

"He has a track record, which his contract points out."

He didn't, though, outpitch Fogg, who rebounded from giving up 14 runs in 9 2/3 innings over his two previous starts to allow only one run to the Giants.

"He gave us a chance to win," Hurdle said.

The Rockies, though, failed to take advantage of the chance.

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com

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