Giants vs Rockies Preview: Heroic Arms in Coors Field

You watched an instant classic yesterday. The Giants and Rockies traded punches back and forth, with the score locked at 6-6 going into the bottom of the ninth. That's when Ezequiel Tovar stepped up and crushed a home run 406 feet to left field. The ball was gone. Tovar also stole home earlier in the game, showing off the speed and daring that makes him such a threat. Now Colorado looks to keep that momentum rolling on Sunday. The Rockies are riding a 2-game winning streak after struggling earlier this week. San Francisco sits at 22-36, dropping their fifth straight game. Every win matters for both teams fighting to stay close.

Adrian Houser takes the mound for San Francisco on Sunday, and he'll face a Rockies team that just proved it can win close games. Houser is the Giants' third starter behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. He needs to pitch deep into games and keep Colorado off the board early. The Giants' lineup has some serious power. Willy Adames is a 30-home-run threat at shortstop. Rafael Devers brings elite power and came through big yesterday with a triple and a run scored. Matt Chapman, one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball, also chipped in yesterday with a single. San Francisco's pitching staff depends on steady, efficient outings to win games.

Hunter Goodman is the Rockies' rising superstar at catcher. The 25-year-old blasted a three-run home run yesterday—414 feet to left field—that tied the game in the ninth inning. That's the kind of power that made him an All-Star last season when he hit 31 home runs. Catching is a tough position, so finding a hitter with that kind of strength at catcher makes Goodman incredibly valuable. Ryan Feltner pitches for Colorado today and will need Goodman's bat to stay hot. The Rockies are 22-37 on the season but have found their rhythm in recent games. Baseball at Coors Field is different—the air is thinner and the ball carries farther.