With his dad, stepmom and sister in the San Francisco crown, Brandon Barnes hit an inside-the-park home run – his second this season – in the ninth to help the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 victory. “It’s special to play in front of them, especially like a day like (Saturday),” Barnes said.
With his dad, stepmom and sister in the San Francisco crown, Brandon Barnes hit an inside-the-park home run – his second this season – in the ninth to help the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 victory. “It’s special to play in front of them, especially like a day like (Saturday),” Barnes said.Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

Brandon Barnes isn’t a classic power hitter. In fact, neither of the Colorado right fielder’s two home runs this season even left the park.

They did help the Rockies to victories, however, and for that, Barnes isn’t making any apologies.

Barnes hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the ninth inning, and Colorado rallied for the second consecutive day to stun the San Francisco Giants 5-4 on Saturday.

“I’d really like to hit one out so I can jog around the bases to make it easier,” said Barnes, who hit his first inside-the-park home run against Arizona on June 5. “I always seem to make it hard on myself. I hit the ball, and I’m going to run hard until something stops me.”

Charlie Blackmon singled with two outs off Giants closer Sergio Romo (3-3) before Barnes lined a hit to center field. San Francisco’s Angel Pagan misplayed the ball, and it skipped to the fence as Barnes and Blackmon raced around the bases.

Barnes, who had a walkoff triple to beat the Dodgers on June 7, had flown out to center in three consecutive at-bats before helping Colorado extend its winning streak to four games.

“My father made the trip up from Anaheim for Father’s Day (on Sunday), and my step-mom and sister were here,” Barnes said. “It’s special to play in front of them, especially like a day like (Saturday).”

It’s the second consecutive blown save and fourth this season for Romo, who gave up five runs in the ninth inning of Friday’s 7-4 loss to Colorado.

“I don’t feel like I could have done much more there,” Romo said. “I had two outs, one pitch away again … and they found a way to stay alive. They got me again. What can I do?”

Buster Posey’s sac fly in the seventh inning gave the Giants a 4-3 lead. Posey also doubled and homered to finish with a season-high three runs batte in – the most by San Francisco’s two-time All-Star in more than 11 months.

Hunter Pence hit his ninth home run of the year, while Gregor Blanco had three hits for San Francisco.

It wasn’t enough to prevent the Giants’ fifth loss in six games.

Barnes is the fourth opposing player to hit an inside-the-park home run at AT&T Park.

Rex Brothers (3-4) pitched one inning for the win and became the 76th pitcher in history to strike out the side on nine pitches. LaTroy Hawkins worked the ninth for his 13th save, although he had to wait to celebrate.

Pagan appeared to ground into a game-ending double play, and several Rockies players came out of the dugout to celebrate. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy, who successfully overturned a call earlier in the game, again challenged the ruling. After a brief review, the umpires upheld the original call.

“There was talk about the games here and how crazy they are,” Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. “It usually comes down to millimeters and milliseconds. Barnes has a tendency to be in the middle of things. He’s been a real clutch player for us.”

The Giants went into the game with the best record in the majors but were staggering on the heels of four losses in five games. They trailed late in this one, too, before Posey tied it with a two-run homer in the fifth, then drove in Pagan with the go-ahead run in the seventh.

San Francisco’s bullpen couldn’t make it hold up.

Posey’s two-run homer off Christian Bergman in the fifth tied it.

Bergman lasted six innings in his second major league start. The Rockies’ rookie allowed eight hits, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.

Pence homered off Bergman in the first.

Rockies rumpus

Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was not in the starting lineup after injuring a toe running to first base on an infield single during the ninth inning of Friday’s 7-4 win. Tulowitzki pinch-hit in the ninth and flew out to center. … The Rockies also rested C Wilin Rosario after he fouled a ball that ricocheted off the ground and hit him in the face in Friday night’s game. … LHP Madison Bumgarner (8-4), who will pitch the series finale for San Francisco, has a 1.24 ERA over his previous four starts. RHP Juan Nicasio (5-5) will take the mound for Colorado.