DENVER -- The Giants bats finally erupted at Coors Field in Sunday’s series finale, scoring 19 runs on 25 hits, including a seven-run fifth capped by a Willy Adames grand slam. The Giants tallied more runs in that single frame than the Rockies did all day, as San Francisco dodged the sweep and held onto fourth place in the NL West with the 19-6 win.
The fifth inning featured an intentional walk, two singles, three doubles, a triple and the slam, with all but the last single coming around to score.
The slam was Adames’ sixth of his career and the Giants’ fourth of the season. All four Giants slams this year have come in May, the most in a month in franchise history since the 1970 club hit four in April.
Other offensive highlights included Jung Hoo Lee’s five-hit game -- his second four-hit game of the weekend -- a 4-for-6 day for Rafael Devers, including three doubles, and a 4-for-6 outing for Bryce Eldrige, who hit two doubles and a 453-foot homer to dead center, the longest Giants home run of the season and the fourth longest at Coors Field.
The starting pitching remained paradoxical, posting their third consecutive game with the starter failing to complete five innings. Robbie Ray went a full four innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out six. He threw 96 pitches in his short time on the hill. Thanks to the seven-inning fifth, Ray left with an 11-3 lead.
The Giants added three runs in the eighth inning when Louisville, Colo. native Jonah Cox made his big league debut as a pinch-runner for Casey Schmitt with Daniel Susac on second. Devers followed with a single to center, and both runners scored on the play, Susac on a throwing error by center fielder Jake McCarthy and Cox -- who nearly caught and passed Susac between second and third -- scoring on a throwing error from Juan Mejia.
Cox came up to bat in the ninth and laced a double down the right-field line -- off Rockies backup catcher Brett Sullivan -- for his first big league hit in his first at-bat.
The win was marred by an injury to reliever Joel Peguero, who left the game in the bottom of the eighth after hurting himself fielding a ground ball between the mound and first base.