Conforto homers to spark 6-run inning and Giants beat skidding Rockies 8-6

DENVER (AP) — Michael Conforto homered and singled in a six-run second inning that sent the San Francisco Giants past the struggling Colorado Rockies 8-6 on Wednesday night.

Blake Sabol and Conforto each finished with three of San Francisco's 13 hits. Jordan Hicks pitched five effective innings and the Giants won their second in a row after a four-game losing streak to secure the series win against Colorado.

After a 5-0 victory Tuesday over the Rockies, it was just the third time this season the Giants scored five or more runs in consecutive games.

“It’s very encouraging,” LaMonte Wade Jr. said. “We’ve been working hard at it, so to see it come to fruition the last two nights has been really good. We’ve got to keep building on that and come out strong tomorrow.”

Mike Yastrzemski had two hits, including a triple, and Sabol delivered an RBI double. San Francisco withstood a two-run homer by Elias Díaz off Camilo Doval with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Sean Bouchard had three hits for the Rockies, who have lost four straight and nine of 10. They own the worst record in the majors at 8-28 and remain the only club without a series victory or successive wins this season.

“We hung in there,” manager Bud Black said. “We kept getting some guys on base, but the double play tonight sort of killed us three different times. That happens. That’s baseball.”

Charlie Blackmon added two hits and two RBIs, pushing his career RBI total to 760 and tying Nolan Arenado for fourth in Rockies history. Díaz had three RBIs.

Hicks (3-1) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five.

Peter Lambert (2-2) went three innings and permitted seven runs on nine hits.

The Giants matched their biggest inning of the season in the second, which began with Conforto’s leadoff homer on the first pitch he saw from Lambert.

Jung Hoo Lee helped keep the outburst going with an RBI double. Wade had a two-run single and Heliot Ramos, recalled from the minors earlier in the day, added an RBI single. Yastrzemski scored from third on Nick Ahmed’s sacrifice, beating the throw home from Lambert with a headfirst slide.

Brenton Doyle tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second, but the Giants got another run in the third on Sabol’s RBI double.

“They hit some pretty good pitches. But overall, kept the ball in the ballpark here,” Hicks said. “Doyle put some good wood on it but besides that, we got an early lead and just tried to keep them at bay.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: DH Jorge Soler was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder strain, retroactive to Sunday. Ramos was recalled from Triple-A to fill Soler's roster spot.

Rockies: 1B/OF Kris Bryant, sidelined the last three weeks by a lower back strain, has resumed baseball activities in the past couple of days. He has been taking swings in the batting cage and was on the field before the game taking grounders. ... OF Nolan Jones, who went on the 10-day IL effective April 29 with a lower back injury, is expected to resume baseball activities Thursday or Friday. Both are likely to have a minor league rehab assignment before returning to the Rockies.

UP NEXT

Giants RHP Keaton Winn (3-4, 4.41 ERA) is slated to pitch Thursday’s series finale against RHP Cal Quantrill (1-3, 4.31).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon follows the flight of his RBI single off San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks in the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jordan Hicks works against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Francisco Giants second baseman Thairo Estrada, left, congratulates left fielder Michael Conforto after the team's win in a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Peter Lambert waits after giving up a solo home run to San Francisco Giants' Michael Conforto, back, during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Francisco Giants left fielder Michael Conforto, center fielder Jung Hoo Lee and right fielder Mike Yastrzemski, from left, celebrate after the team's win in a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Francisco Giants' Michael Conforto circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Peter Lambert during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Francisco Giants' Michael Conforto breaks from the batter's box after singling off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Peter Lambert during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

MIAMI (AP) — Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor each drove in two runs in a four-run first inning, star closer Edwin Díaz was not used in a save situation and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday for just their second win in seven games.

Brandon Nimmo homered and Francisco Lindor singled twice following a 1-for-27 skid as the Mets rebounded from blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead on Saturday and avoided a three-game sweep. New York stopped Miami’s four-game winning streak.

“You’re not defined by what you do the day before. You’re defined by how you get up from adversity,” Lindor said. “We wanted this one for sure. I think it’s important to win after a tough loss like that.”

Sean Manaea (3-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Sean Reid-Foley and Jake Diekman pitched an inning each, and Reed Garrett got his second save by allowing one hit over two innings with four strikeouts in a 34-pitch outing.

Díaz has a 10.80 ERA over his last eight appearances after serving up four homers in 8 1/3 innings. He has blown three of his last four save chances.

“We all believe in him. We all know he’s going to be back,” Garrett said. “Whenever my name’s called, I’ll pitch, but I know as a collective unit we all believe in Edwin and we know what he can do.”

New York (21-25) had dropped five games under .500 on Saturday for the first time since an 0-5 start.

“Not an easy weekend, not the way we expected, but we just have to continue to move forward,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a huge win for us.”

With New York ahead 4-3, Nimmo hit a two-run homer off Anthony Bender in a three-run ninth that included Brett Baty’s RBI single.

“I was just looking for a good pitch in the middle of the plate to drive,” Nimmo said. “I was able to hit that ball — good launch angle — and hit it hard. Found its way out of the ballpark.”

Nimmo returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games because of a stomach illness.

“I’m coming around,” Nimmo said. “It’s been a little bit of a journey the last three days to get over the sickness. Right now, I’m just trying to get some appetite back. I’m definitely not at 100%. Just trying to battle through it and glad that I was able to help out there at the end and solidify the win.”

Dane Myers hit a two-run homer in the second, and Christian Bethancourt had a solo drive in the seventh against DIekman.

Sixto Sánchez (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. He gave up Taylor’s two-out double in the first and Bader’s single.

“He was obviously better second through the fourth inning but he put us in a hole early,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “At this level it’s hard to come back from four runs every single time. He’s not giving his teammates a chance to win.”

Miami recalled right-handed reliever Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and optioned right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado to the Triple-A farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (flu symptoms) didn’t play but was available to pinch hit. Mendoza said Martinez played through the illness the prior two days.

Marlins: INF Tim Anderson (lower back tightness) homered and had three singles in five at-bats during a rehab game with Jacksonville on Saturday, then went 0 for 4 with a walk on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (0-1, 2.25) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday. RHP Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06) will start for the Guardians.

Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-4, 3.81) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Milwaukee on Monday. The Brewers will go with RHP Joe Ross (2-4, 4.61).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Sean Manaea delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) and Francisco Lindor (12) congratulate each other after they scored on a double by Tyrone Taylor, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader is unable to catch a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell for a double, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Marlins third base Emmanuel Rivera, right, tags out New York Mets' Harrison Bader as he slides into third base during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) catches a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell as both he and left fielder Tyrone Taylor (15) vie for the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett, right, and catcher Omar Narvaez celebrate after the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3, during a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)