The Colorado Rockies (41-70) fell behind early, with starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz giving up four runs over the first three innings, as the San Francisco Giants (62-52) earned the 9-3 victory yesterday in California. The rubber game of the three-game series is this afternoon at 2:05 MT at AT&T Park (TV: Root Sports).

The Giants entered the day tied with the Dodgers atop the National League West. The last-place Rockies still have a chance to win the series on Sunday afternoon. Colorado took two out of three from the Dodgers earlier in the week and shut out the Giants on Friday, and if it wins today could secure its first winning road trip of the season.

Trailing 5-0, the Rockies loaded the bases with no outs, with a 3-1 count to Josh Rutledge, before Giants starter Matt Cain (11-5) returned to dominating the game -- with a little luck. Cain would give up two runs -- including one on DJ LeMahieu's first Major League home run to lead off the seventh -- and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings. Cain struck out six while allowing one walk. He outpitched fellow Memphis, Tenn.-area native Drew Pomeranz (1-7), who yielded four runs and six hits in four innings.

Colorado's Josh Rutledge, a rookie, pulled Cain's pitch right at third baseman Marco Scutaro, who stepped on third for one out even though a run scored. Carlos Gonzalez followed by blistering Cain's delivery, only to see it go straight to first baseman Brett Pill. Cain then caught Ramon Hernandez looking at a 1-2 fastball on the outside corner.

"There were a lot of hard-hit [balls] with guys on that just went right to their guys, and we couldn't get anything across on them," Rutledge said. "It was a really good game on [Cain's] part, but things were falling for him."

Pomeranz demonstrated that he has a ways to go before matching Cain's problem-solving abilities. However, Pomeranz, who yielded four runs and six hits in four innings, is much earlier in his career than Cain.

Three of the first four hitters in the second reached against Pomeranz, who gave up runs on Joaquin Arias' sacrifice fly and Cain's RBI single on a 1-2 pitch.

Melky Cabrera singled with one out in the third, and Posey clubbed his 19th homer of the season on a changeup at the letters.

Posey has hit .443 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs since the All-Star break for a Giants club that has been offensively challenged when not playing the struggling Rockies.

The Giants added four runs in two innings against reliever Josh Roenicke and another in the eighth, after Rex Brothers uncorked a wild pitch.

While the Rockies did tack on a run in the ninth on Chris Nelson's RBI single, it only served to make the final tally closer.

Tickets are available for tomorrow's game at Coors Field vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, and can be purchased by calling (800) 388-ROCK, or click here.

More From K99