Three keys

Key moments in the Rockies' 8-0 victory against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on Wednesday afternoon:

1 Third baseman Garrett Atkins, 4-for-21 lifetime against left-hander Noah Lowry, hit a home run off Lowry to lead off the second inning. With two on and an 0-2 count in the third, Atkins hit a three-run home run to give the Rockies a 5-0 lead.

2 The only Giants runner who got into scoring position in the first eight innings was Ray Durham, who singled with two out in the fourth and stole second ahead of a Rich Aurilia groundout.

3 Lowry walked Kazuo Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki to start the fourth, prompting him to be relieved by Patrick Misch. After a double steal, Matt Holliday singled up the middle, driving in both runs and giving the Rockies a 7-0 lead.

Etc.

Not only had the Rockies never won a season series in San Francisco before going 5-4 this season, they never had split a season series at AT&T Park, where they were 20-50 all time entering this year. They did split the season series twice in San Francisco, going 3-3 in 1995 and 1998. . . . Jeff Francis' complete-game shutout was the first on the road for a Rockies pitcher since Josh Fogg at Seattle on June 30, 2006. . . . Second baseman Matsui has increased his season average from .287 to .301 during a seven-game hitting streak in which he is 13-for-29. . . . Left-hander Jeremy Affeldt is expected to rejoin the team in Arizona this weekend. He flew home to Denver on Tuesday to be in attendance for the birth of his first child, a boy named Walker Davis. . . . Atkins had two home runs in a game for the second time this season - he also did it at Houston on June 29 - and drove in at least four runs in a game five times. . . . The Rockies are 18-21 in day games this year. . . . Tulowitzki was held hitless in the last two games against the Giants after putting together a career- best 12-game hitting streak.