Rockies-Giants box score

SAN FRANCISCO — Whatever hope the Rockies have of a postseason appearance is slipping away, but they continue to juggle in hopes of finding a way to rally.

The momentary respite provided by the weekend sweep of Washington has been erased for two nights by the dominating pitching of Giants left-hander Barry Zito and right-hander Matt Cain, leaving the Rockies in need of a victory today to avoid being swept at AT&T Park.

A 3-1 loss Tuesday night saw the Rockies slip even further out of the National League wild-card race, falling 5 1/2 games back of leader San Diego while remaining 6 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Arizona, which has lost back-to- back games at San Diego. The Rockies have 30 games remaining.

"You don't have to be real intelligent to know we are running short of games," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We need to win a game (today). But we are not going to put a sign up outside saying we are running short of opportunity."

In the aftermath of the loss, the Rockies tweaked the roster with a move that gives Hurdle more depth on the bench and only has a minor impact on the starting rotation.

Rookie Franklin Morales, who started Tuesday and gave up two runs in five innings, was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs and infielder Clint Barmes was recalled. He will join the Rockies today.

Morales will remain with the Rockies to do his between-start work.

With the Sky Sox season ending Monday, Morales can be recalled Tuesday instead of having to follow the normal 10-day requirement for a player to stay in the minor leagues.

And the Rockies' plan is for Morales to start that night's game against the Giants at Coors Field. With the Rockies off Thursday, Jeff Francis, who starts today's series finale, can come back to start Monday on normal rest.

Right now, the Rockies need to find a way to juggle their offense, particularly on the road, where they have lost 24 of 35.

On Tuesday, Cain overpowered them for seven innings, allowing four hits and one run when Yorvit Torrealba tripled with two out in the seventh and Cory Sullivan blooped a double on a ball that eluded sliding center fielder Rajal Davis.

Sullivan also gave the Rockies a brief hope in the ninth when he doubled off Brad Hennessey with two out and Chris Iannetta delivered a pinch-hit single, putting runners on first and third. But Hennessey got Kazuo Matsui to fly to center on the next pitch, ending the game.

Cain combined with reliever Brian Wilson to hold Matt Holliday hitless in three at-bats with a walk, ending Holliday's career- best 17-game hitting streak, tied for the ninth longest in franchise history, six short of the club record set by Dante Bichette in 1995.

Morales showed more battle than he did in his previous start, when he walked five batters in four innings against Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The Giants manufactured their first two runs off Morales.

Davis, who came to the Giants from Pittsburgh for right-handed pitcher Matt Morris, led off innings by reaching base his first three times up.

He walked in the first but was out on the front end of an Omar Vizquel double-play grounder. The next two times, Vizquel set the table for Randy Winn to pick up an easy RBI.

Bengie Molina provided the Giants' final run, greeting reliever Taylor Buchholz with a home run to open the sixth.

After Davis singled and stole second in the third, he was bunted to third by Vizquel and scored on Winn's single on a hard-hit groundball off the glove of shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

Davis doubled to start the fifth and was bunted over by Vizquel. Winn was credited with a sacrifice on a sinking shot that right fielder Brad Hawpe caught with a sliding effort.

Morales induced three double plays and stranded five runners in five innings.

Morales also kept Barry Bonds in check. Twice Bonds bounced back to the mound, including once when Morales turned an inning- ending double play. He flied out to right the third time against Morales.

"He pitched very well in traffic," Hurdle said. "He did a much better job of slowing things done and not letting it get away from him."

ringolsbyt@RockyMountainNews.com

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