{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
Major League Baseball
Colorado 11, San Francisco 3
When: 8:40 PM ET, Thursday, September 3, 2015
Where: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
Temperature: 62°
Umpires: Home - Pat Hoberg, 1B - Jim Joyce, 2B - Kerwin Danley, 3B - Chad Fairchild
Attendance: 25863

DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez continued his home run barrage and Chris Rusin threw a complete game Thursday night as the Colorado Rockies pounded the fading San Francisco Giants 11-3.

Gonzalez, who hit two homers and had seven RBIs on Wednesday, hit a two-run homer in the Rockies' four-run first and belted another two-run shot in the four-run third as the Rockies strafed starter Ryan Vogelsong.

"I just stunk," said Vogelsong (9-11) who left after the first three batters reached base in the fourth and allowed a career-high tying 11 hits and eight runs. "Didn't command the heater, breaking ball was up. Just didn't throw well at all."

Rusin threw his second complete game in four starts and just the third for Colorado this season. He is the first Rockies pitcher to throw two complete games in a season since Ubaldo Jimenez and Jhoulys Chacin both threw two in 2011 and the first Rockies pitcher to throw two complete games at Coors Field in one season since Aaron Cook in 2008.

Rusin, who shut out San Diego on five hits at Coors Field on Aug. 16, allowed six hits. Four came in the third when Vogelsong's first career homer, a two-run shot cut the Rockies' lead to 4-2. While throwing 103 pitches, 69 strikes, Rusin (5-7) got 15 outs on ground balls and twice got third baseman Matt Duffy to ground into double plays.

"I was ahead of hitters, put them in defense mode where they have to battle," said Rusin, who threw first-pitch strikes to 23 of 32 batters. "I was able to get early contact and keep them on the ground.

The loss was the sixth straight and ninth in 12 games for the Giants, who were swept in three games at Dodger Stadium to begin their current 10-game road trip. The Rockies, who banged out a season-high 19 hits, are 4-2 in their past six games, their best stretch since the All-Star break.

Gonzalez tied franchise records for the most home runs (four) and RBIs (11) in consecutive games. He struck out in the sixth after five consecutive at-bats with an extra-base hit, one short of the franchise record set by Larry Walker in 1996.

Gonzalez, whose output also included a double while going 4-for-5, is the first player to hit multiple home runs in consecutive games since Jason Giambi in 2005 with the New York Yankees, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The left-handed hitting Gonzalez's first homer, his double and his single all went to the opposite field. To him, that is convincing proof he is fully recovered from the surgery on his left knee that ended his 2014 season in August and slowed him during the first two months of this season while he continued to strengthen the knee.

"I don't think it can get any better than that," Gonzalez said. "When you can go foul pole to foul pole, it's the best you're ever going to feel. It tells me my hands are quick enough, I don't have to worry about anything. I don't care if the guy throws 95-plus(mph), I just go to the plate with no worries. "

Gonzalez took over the National League lead with a career-high 35 home runs, one more than he hit in 2010 and one more than teammate Nolan Arenado. The Rockies third baseman hit his 34th off Cody Hall, who made his major league debut, after Gonzalez singled with two outs in the eighth. Arenado homered in a career-high fourth consecutive game and increased his National League-leading RBI total to 102.

Vogelsong (9-11) made his seventh career start at Coors Field, where he is 3-4 with an 8.44 ERA. He has lost his past three starts, allowing 25 hits and 15 runs, 14 earned, in 11 innings overall for an 11.45 ERA. After the Rockies batted around and roughed him up for six hits in the first, Vogelsong pitched a scoreless second and gave up an unearned run in the third before the Rockies knocked him out in the fourth.

"I felt like I was settling in a little bit, and the wheels kind of fell off again," he said.

His homer was the Giants' first in six games and just their seventh in the past 17 games. It came with one out after left fielder Juan Perez opened the third with a double. Vogelsong has played in parts of 11 big league seasons and had 290 career at-bats before he connected. And according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Vogelsong is the oldest player in franchise history -- 38 years, 43 days -- at the time of his first home run.

Asked if he thought the ball had a chance to clear the fence in right-center, Vogelsong said, "I didn't know. I knew I hit it good, but when you don't have one, you don't ever know, I guess.

NOTES: Giants RHP Tim Lincecum underwent surgery in Vail, Colo., on his left hip. He is facing about a five-month rehab but should be able to pitch in the big leagues in 2016, Giants trainer Dave Groescher said. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (elbow) will make his second rehab start Monday for Class A Modesto. He will not pitch for Colorado this season. ... Rockies OF Corey Dickerson (broken right ribs) began a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Albuquerque, going 1-for-4 as the designated hitter. He could be activated early next week. ... Giants SS Brandon Crawford (Calf) missed his third game in a row. ... San Francisco 2B Joe Panik (back) began a three-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento, played three innings and went 0-for-2.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
San Francisco   Colorado
Ryan Vogelsong Player Christopher Rusin
Loss W/L Win
3.0 IP 9.0
1 Strikeouts 5
11 Hits 6
21.00 ERA 3.00
Hitting
San Francisco   Colorado
Kelby Tomlinson Player Carlos Gonzalez
2 Hits 4
0 RBI 4
0 HR 2
2 TB 11
.500 Avg .800
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
San Francisco 6 1 10 .194 5 5 2 1 0 2
Colorado 19 3 32 .463 15 3 10 0 1 0