SAN FRANCISCO -- Bengie Molina and Pablo Sandoval hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning, and the Giants avoided a three-game sweep with a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.
After Molina's one-out homer off Livan Hernandez tied the score 1-1, Sandoval connected for his first major league homer with a drive just inside the left-field foul pole -- and that was it for Hernandez (1-3). It marked just the second time this year San Francisco has hit consecutive homers. Molina and Aaron Rowand did it May 23 at Florida.
Tim Lincecum (15-3) struck out 10 to boost his majors-leading strikeout total to 210. Lincecum lowered his ERA from 2.48 to 2.43, tied for best in the big leagues with Cleveland's Cliff Lee. Lee and Lincecum both have allowed 50 earned runs in 185 1-3 innings.
The crowd at the Giants' waterfront ballpark roared in delight when Lincecum came out to start the eighth, then booed manager Bruce Bochy when he removed the All-Star after two outs and a career-high 132 pitches. Lincecum walked off the mound to a standing ovation.
