Left-hander Kyle Freeland (4-4) limited the Giants to one run in 6 2/3 innings, and reliever Bryan Shaw worked out of a seventh-inning jam by striking out the hot-hitting Brandon Belt, delivering the Rockies a third win in four games to begin a nine-game trip.
After Gorkys Hernandez had given the Giants a 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first, the Rockies took the lead for good against San Francisco starter Derek Holland (2-5) in a three-run fourth.
Nolan Arenado got the inning rolling by drawing a walk, after which Trevor Story singled. One out later, Desmond belted a three-run homer to center field, putting the Rockies ahead for good at 3-1.
The home run was Desmond's seventh of the season.
Desmond made it 4-1 in the sixth with a two-out, ground-rule double, again scoring Arenado, who had led off the inning with a double.
The Giants threatened to cut into the deficit in the seventh, when Evan Longoria and Brandon Crawford singled to bring the potential tying run to the plate with two outs.
But Shaw replaced Freeland at that point and caught Belt looking on a full count, retaining the three-run lead.
Belt, who had homered in each of his previous four games, was pinch hitting for Austin Jackson. Belt was held out of the starting lineup due to a swollen knee.
Charlie Blackmon added to the Colorado lead with a two-run home run off Giants reliever Jose Valdez in the ninth, scoring Gerardo Parra, who had singled as a pinch hitter.
Blackmon's homer was his 12th of the year.
Freeland held the Giants to five hits in his 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Holland went six innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Desmond, Arenado and Story had two hits apiece for the Rockies, who have won eight of their last nine road games.
Hernandez's home run, his third of the season, was the Giants' only extra-base hit. It came on Freeland's third pitch of the game.
The Rockies out-hit the Giants 10-5.
--Field Level Media
Colorado | San Francisco | |
Kyle Freeland | Player | Derek Holland |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.2 | IP | 6.0 |
5 | Strikeouts | 3 |
5 | Hits | 6 |
1.35 | ERA | 6.00 |
Colorado | San Francisco | |
Ian Desmond | Player | Derek Holland |
2 | Hits | 1 |
4 | RBI | 0 |
1 | HR | 0 |
6 | TB | 1 |
.500 | Avg | 1.000 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Colorado | 10 | 2 | 19 | .270 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
San Francisco | 5 | 1 | 8 | .167 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |