SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants got Johnny Cueto some runs to work with, and the right-hander took over from there.
Cueto pitched seven effective innings, Brandon Crawford and Chris Marrero homered, and the Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Friday night.
San Francisco led 4-0 after four innings.
“Once I saw that I had that lead I told myself, ‘OK now I have to grind it, pitch and hold onto that lead,'” Cueto said through a translator.
Cueto (3-0) allowed two runs and six hits while winning his third straight start to begin the season. He struck out six and walked one.
Cueto won his sixth straight decision against the Rockies. He was 5-0 with a 1.33 ERA over his previous seven starts against Colorado.
The Giants jumped in front on Chris Marrero’s first career homer in the second, a drive to left off Tyler Anderson (1-2) after Eduardo Nunez walked with two out. It was Marrero’s 144th at-bat in a major league career that goes back to 2011.
The 28-year-old Marrero, a first-round pick by Washington in 2006, is in his 12th year in pro ball and logged 4,005 at-bats in the minors. He went 2 for 3 after going into Friday hitting .056 (1 for 18).
Anderson lasted just four innings. The left-hander allowed four runs and five hits, and also was charged with two balks — matching a franchise record.
“I think (Anderson) has to do a better job with all his emotions,” Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “He was pitching a great game, somebody got on and he got the balk called. He got a little frustrated and left a pitch over the strike zone, and the guy hit a two-run shot.”
Rockies manager Bud Black was adamant that the balk calls weren’t a factor in Anderson’s game.
“As far as it affecting his performance after the balks, I think that had nothing to do with it,” Black said.
Anderson wasn’t so sure.
“I’m definitely frustrated, I made a couple of bad pitches out there but I don’t know if it’s necessarily because of that,” he said.
Crawford, who connected for his second homer in the fourth inning, was in the lineup for the first time since traveling to Los Angeles to be with family after his sister-in-law’s death earlier this week.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray was placed on the disabled list with a broken left foot. He suffered the injury in the fourth inning of Thursday night’s game. He is expected to miss at least a month. Gray missed time in spring training with a big toe injury on the same foot. … OF Gerardo Parra was placed on three-day paternity leave. He traveled to Miami for the birth of his daughter. … OF Raimel Tapia and RHP Shane Carle were called up from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Giants: C Buster Posey is ramping up baseball activities, and all indications are he is on target to come off the seven-day disabled list for concussion symptoms on Tuesday when the Giants open a three-game series in Kansas City. Posey took swings off a tee and in a cage on Friday, and will start running the bases over the weekend. Posey is expected to be the Giants DH in the Royals series. He could play first base in next weekend’s series at Colorado. “We have to get him through the weekend and see where we’re at before we’re ready to announce that we’re set to go in Kansas City,” manager Bruce Bochy said.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood is searching for his first win after going 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in his first two starts. He was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four starts against the Giants last season.
Giants: LHP Matt Moore (1-1, 2.70 ERA) pitched eight innings of three-hit ball in Monday’s home opener. He is 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last seven home starts going back to last season.
