SAN FRANCISCO
Brett Anderson’s broken finger leaves the Colorado Rockies with much bigger concerns than an extra-inning loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Brandon Crawford led off the 10th inning with a home run to give the Giants a 5-4 victory against Colorado on Sunday.
But the bigger news for the Rockies was that the left-handed Anderson broke the index finger on his throwing hand while batting Saturday, and he is expected to miss four to six weeks.
“It’s really frustrating, especially about the time you’re starting to show your new teammates why they traded for you, and you are showcasing some of your ability, something like this happens,” Anderson said. “I guess it would happen to me of all people. I feel like a shadow of injury bug is around me.”
Anderson was plagued by injuries throughout his career in Oakland, missing time with ankle, elbow, foot and oblique injuries. He got a fresh start with an offseason trade to Colorado, but he once again now finds himself headed to the disabled list with a fluky injury.
“I’ve never seen this before in 27 years,” Rockies’ head trainer Keith Dugger said. “Not from swinging a bat. It looks like a stick that has been broke. Sometimes pinning will make the healing process go faster, but they have to see it whether it needs a pin or not. It’s a pretty clean break.”
The news came just after Tyler Chatwood returned to the rotation after missing two starts with a hamstring injury. Chatwood allowed four runs and six hits in six innings to get a no-decision.
Franklin Morales now will move back into the rotation after losing his spot when Chatwood returned.
Justin Morneau and Wilin Rosario hit solo homers off Tim Hudson for the Rockies, who have lost 15 of their last 18 games in San Francisco and have not won a series here since 2010.
They lost this series when Crawford turned on the second pitch thrown by Rex Brothers (1-1) and drove it into McCovey Cove for his first career walkoff homer.
“It was a good pitch, but it was up a little in the zone,” Brothers said. “I think that’s where I got hurt.”
Pablo Sandoval homered, and Angel Pagan drove in two runs for the Giants, who bounced back from a 1-0 loss Saturday to take two of three games in the series.
Sergio Romo (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win.
The Giants nearly won it in the ninth, when Gregor Blanco hit a drive off the wall in right field with two outs and nobody on. When Michael Cuddyer misplayed the carom off the wall, Blanco tried to score on the play but narrowly was thrown out on a relay from second baseman D.J. LeMahieu to Rosario.
The play was eerily similar to one last year when Pagan shocked the Rockies with a game-ending, two-run, inside-the-park homer in the 10th inning of a 6-5 win May 25.
“I saw it develop and thought this can’t happen to you two years in a row,” Rockies’ manager Walt Weiss said. “But Cuddy kept his cool, gave D.J. a good throw, and then D.J. made good a throw to home; it was a good play.”
The Rockies rallied with two runs in the eighth to tie the game, getting an double with a run batted in by LeMahieu and a game-tying single from pinch-hitter Drew Stubbs against Javier Lopez.
“I would have been sick if we had lost this game, because I felt like I had a pretty good game and then in the eighth inning we were tied up,” Hudson said.
Rockies rumpus
Wilin Rosario threw out Brandon Hicks trying to steal second in the seventh inning, Colorado’s first caught stealing in eight attempts this season. ... The Giants open a three-game home series Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers with Tim Lincecum (0-1) taking on Josh Beckett (0-0). ... The Rockies open a four-game series Monday in San Diego with Jordan Lyles (2-0) taking on Eric Stults (0-2).
