DENVER — Tim Lincecum won consecutive starts for the first time since April, Hunter Pence had three RBIs and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 8-3 Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Lincecum (6-11) worked around five walks, allowing one run and five hits in six innings. After going 4-9 with a 5.26 ERA in 18 starts from the start of May through July 25, he is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last two outings against the Mets and Rockies.
The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner had not won consecutive starts since April 23 against the Mets and April 28 against the Padres. In Lincecum’s previous appearance at Coors Field, he gave up six runs in 2 1-3 innings on April 11.
After losing seven of eight coming into the series, the Giants swept the Rockies for the first time since a four-game set last Sept. 15-18. They totaled 35 runs at Coors Field after scoring just six runs in their prior three games.
Tyler Chatwood (1-2), recalled from Double A Tulsa prior to the game to take the rotation spot of injured Christian Friedrich, allowed three runs — one earned — two hits and four walks in 3 1-3 innings.
Pence, acquired Tuesday from Philadelphia, had a run-scoring groundout in the first, hit an RBI double in the fifth for a 4-1 lead and had another run-scoring double in a three-run seventh that made it 7-1. He had entered hitting .118 (2 for 17) with two RBIs in his four previous games with the Giants.
Marco Scutaro capped the Giants’ seventh with a two-run double. Melkey Cabrera tripled leading off the ninth and scored on a single by Buster Posey, who got a day off from catching but started at first base.
Colorado, swept twice during a 1-8 homestand, pulled to 7-2 in the seventh on Carlos Gonzalez’ RBI single. With the bases loaded and one out, Sergio Romo relieved Javier Lopez and struck out Matt McBride and Wilin Rosario to end the threat.
San Francisco scored its first three runs without a base hit. Angel Pagan drew a leadoff walk in the first and scored from third base on a Rosario’s passed ball. Ryan Theriot reached on third baseman Jordan Pacheco’s fielding error and scored on Pence’s groundout.
NOTES: Pablo Sandoval, on the Giants’ 15-day DL with a left hamstring strain, took grounders at third base before the game and Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he’s on course to be activated in about a week. … The Rockies placed LHP Jonathan Sanchez on the 15-day DL with biceps tendinitis.
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