SAN FRANCISCO — Furious after the first-base umpire called him for a balk, again, Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson threw up his arms and stomped toward the bag. DJ LeMahieu sprinted over to save his pitcher from a tossing. Their skipper was not so lucky.
Rockies manager Bud Black was ejected in the fifth inning in a furious exchange with ump Bill Welke and San Francisco starter Johnny Cueto dominated Colorado again in the Giants’ runaway 8-2 victory in front of 42,738 at AT&T Park.
“I was definitely frustrated,” Anderson said. “I asked for an explanation. I didn’t really get one.”
A walk and a balk in the second inning from Anderson led to an early Giants lead after their left fielder, Chris Marrero, hit his first career home run, a line drive to left field that scored Eduardo Nunez. Anderson was displeased with the balk call from Welke. But Nunez seemed to suspect illegality. The runner never moved on Anderson’s pickoff attempt.
He was more upset at the second. MLB rules state that a pitcher must step directly toward a base on a pickoff attempt. Welke believed Anderson, with a hitch in his windup, was stepping more toward the dugout. And his throw trying to nab Marrero at first in the fourth was called for another balk.
“I feel like I use the same move all the time,” Anderson said. “I was confused because I did a couple after the first balk that were exactly the same.”
BOX SCORE: Giants 8, Rockies 2
That’s when LeMahieu and Mark Reynolds stepped between Anderson and Welke. Black, too, raced to the mound. But the hubbub faded — until the next inning, when home-plate ump Mike Everitt yelled at Black during Trevor Story‘s at-bat and ejected Black from the game.
Black stalked the long route around the front of the dugout, screaming at Welke. The first-base ump, with his hands on his hips, stared back at the manager and spit.
“From my vantage point, they looked like real good moves,” Black said. “Tyler has a good move. That is one of the reasons he’s able to control the running game.”
Anderson again struggled, throwing just four innings of five-hit ball. He gave up four runs — including two homers, Marrero’s two-run job and a solo shot from Brandon Crawford in the fourth. Anderson ran his early-season ERA to 8.59 through three starts.
“He has to do a better job controlling his emotions,” Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “He was pitching a great game and then someone got on and he got the balk call and he got frustrated. Then he left a pitch over the strike zone. He can do better out there mentally. He has all the talent in the world. He has to trust that and compete.”
The Rockies’ offense sparked after Black’s expulsion. Tony Wolters singled to load the bases and pinch-hitter Stephen Cardullo‘s groundball to second base was fumbled by Joe Panik on a tag try, allowing Mark Reynolds and Story to score. They cut the deficit to 4-2. But LeMahieu grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Cueto continued his mastery of the Rockies. He was undefeated against them a season ago in four games. On Friday, he struck out six in seven swift innings, giving up six hits and one walk.
Cueto lasted long enough to see his Giants bat around in the seventh, when six consecutive runners reached base with two outs. They scored four runs in the inning on five singles and a walk against Jake McGee (who struck out the first two batters) and Carlos Estevez.
Anderson, the Rockies’ most effective starter last season after a first-half call-up, lost a second consecutive game. He started the season by striking out eight in a victory at Milwaukee.
“He’s a competitor. He gets into it,” Black said. “That’s part of what makes him who he is, the fire.”
Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (0-2, 6.35 ERA) at Giants LHP Matt Moore (1-1, 2.70), Saturday, 2:05 p.m., ROOT, 850 AM
Better known as the game in which Wil Myers hit for the cycle, Chatwood’s last outing was more of a pitcher’s duel until he gave up two home runs in the sixth inning against the Padres in a 5-3 loss. But his history against the Giants is impressive. In 26 innings over four games last season, he had a 2.08 ERA (0.69 in San Francisco). And Chatwood has been adept against Hunter Pence, holding the outfielder to a .182 average in 22 career at-bats. Moore, traded to the Giants from Tampa Bay last season, is 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA at AT&T Park in the regular season.
Sunday: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-0, 1.50 ERA) at Giants RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-2, 6.75), 2:05 p.m., ROOT
Monday: Off.
Tuesday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 5.91) at Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (1-1, 3.46), 8:10 p.m., ROOT
