Troy Tulowitzki homers, drives in 5 as Rockies beat Giants 10-9 in 10 innings

Tulowitzki lifts Rockies over Giants 10-9 in 10

DENVER — Troy Tulowitzki gave the Colorado Rockies’ faint playoff hopes a boost with another big night at the plate.

Tulowitzki capped a four-hit game with an RBI double in the 10th inning and the Rockies rallied for a 10-9 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

Tulowitzki homered, doubled and had five RBIs to help the Rockies snap a five-game slide and pull within four games of first place in the NL West. The Giants dropped out of the top spot, falling a half-game behind the San Diego Padres, who beat Cincinnati 4-3 earlier in the day.

Colorado is 3½ games back of San Francisco and Atlanta in the wild-card race with eight to play.

“We’re not done,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “Until they put an X next to our team in the division and wild card, we’re not done.”

It was the first time in 19 games that the Giants gave up more than three runs. San Francisco hadn’t allowed four or more since beating the Dodgers 5-4 on Sept. 4.

The 18-game streak was the longest in the majors since the Chicago White Sox set the record with 20 straight in 1917, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“Typical Coors Field game, I guess,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “There’s so many games like that here. That’s why no lead is safe.”

Carlos Gonzalez started the winning rally with a one-out single off All-Star closer Brian Wilson (3-3). Tulowitzki followed with a sharply hit ball to left and Gonzalez raced around the bases, easily beating the relay throw from shortstop Juan Uribe.

“I was running like 10 dogs were following me,” Gonzalez said. “That was the best opportunity for us to win the game, especially with Tulo at the plate.”

Aubrey Huff had four hits, including one of four home runs by the Giants. Freddy Sanchez, Andres Torres and Cody Ross also connected.

Huston Street (4-4) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Before the game, umpires were instructed to keep a close eye on game balls at Coors Field after the Giants expressed concern to the commissioner’s office that the Rockies might be using “juiced” balls when batting.

Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney confirmed that umps were told to monitor Saturday night’s game balls. Courtney said the Giants had spoken to MLB about the Rockies possibly using balls that weren’t properly stored in the humidor at Coors Field.

“We got the bag and brought it over here about a half an hour before the game,” crew chief John Hirschbeck said. “Our clubhouse person brought them out.”

Colorado took a 6-4 lead in the fifth on three triples and a two-run homer by Tulowitzki, his 27th of the season and 15th in September.

Tulowitzki also has 40 RBIs in September, breaking the team record for one month set by Dante Bichette, who had 39 in June 1996.

“If I had to pick a month to get 40 RBIs this is the month,” Tulowitzki said. “That makes it more special, when you’re coming down the stretch and producing for the team.”

It didn’t take San Francisco long to go back in front. The Giants greeted reliever Esmil Rogers in the sixth with five straight hits, including Ross’ three-run shot that made it 8-6.

Sanchez scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to make it 9-6.

The Giants could have had more in the inning but Gonzalez made a spectacular diving catch on a ball hit by Buster Posey for the first out of the innings.

Gonzalez’s play really helped them,” Bochy said.

Colorado got a run in the seventh, and Tulowitzki’s two-run double in the eighth tied it at 9.

“I knew I hit it good,” Tulowitzki said. “I did think it was gone.”

Sanchez gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead with his sixth homer in the first, but the Rockies responded in the bottom half on Melvin Mora’s two-run double.

Torres and Huff hit solo homers in the third.

NOTES: Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning was a guest of Rockies 1B Todd Helton on the field prior to the game. Helton was Manning’s backup when they both played quarterback at the University of Tennessee. … Rockies 2B Eric Young Jr. left in the second inning after a collision with Huff at second base in the first inning. … Torres came out in the fifth with discomfort in his abdomen. He had an appendectomy on Sept. 11.