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Rockies’ Torres nearly the hero in his hometown

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Carlos Torres was ready to celebrate a big day in the ballpark in which he grew up watching baseball. A late rally cost him the victory, but not his memories.

Torres singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and pitched two solid innings for the Rockies in his first appearance in San Francisco.

Hunter Pence’s three-run home run in the eighth inning against Rafael Betancourt snapped a tie and gave the San Francisco Giants a 9-6 victory over Colorado on Sunday.



“It’s kind of nice to hit that in front of my father,” Torres said of his first career hit and RBI. “This is home to me. Every time I come back here is something special.”

Once D.J. LeMahieu doubled in a run one batter earlier to tie the game, Torres was told to hit for himself.



“I was told originally they were going to pinch hit for me,” Torres said. “Then they said, ‘No, go out there and hit.’ So I hustled back out there. Second pitch, I literally got lucky. I didn’t think I got it through so I was running as fast as I could.”

He also recorded a shutdown inning in the seventh and was in line for a win before the Giants rallied.

“He bounced back after getting the lead,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “That’s where we wanted to be.”

Matt Belisle (3-4) took the loss after allowing the first three hitters he faced to reach base. Betancourt gave up Buster Posey’s sacrifice fly to left and Pence’s drive into the left-field bleachers.

Clay Hensley (4-3) pitched the eighth for the win.

Eric Young had three hits and drove in a run for the Rockies, who have lost three of four. Starting pitcher Alex White also drove in a run.

“We did everything we could to try and win that game,” Tracy said. “We played with heart and we played with energy. The key to the whole eighth inning is when the leadoff pop up fell. I really believe that if we record that out, that inning was going to go cleanly. I believe that. We opened the door for them.”

Giants starter Barry Zito lasted 5 1-3 innings, giving up four runs and seven hits. White allowed three runs and seven hits in four innings.

“We just made a mistake in the first inning,” White said. “I just wanted to keep us in the game.”

The Giants trailed 6-4 when Brandon Crawford singled, pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez doubled, and Angel Pagan walked to open the eighth. After Belisle got Marco Scutaro on a short fly to left, Melky Cabrera delivered an infield single to score a run.

Betancourt came in to face Posey, who fouled off five consecutive pitches before the deep fly. Pence, hitting .137 since being acquired by the Giants, then hit his 18th home run of the season.

Young and Josh Rutledge each doubled home a run in the third, and White’s sacrifice fly in the fourth tied it at 3.

Ryan Theriot’s double put the Giants back on top in the fifth, setting up Torres’ hit in the sixth.

NOTES: White recorded his first career RBI. … LHP Jeff Francis (3-4, 6.06) pitches Monday for the Rockies against the Milwaukee Brewers. … Rockies IF Jordan Pacheco went 2 for 4 for his 24th multi-hit game.

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