SAN FRANCISCO — Johnny Cueto pitched seven effective innings, Brandon Crawford and Chris Marrero homered, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Friday night.
Cueto (3-0) allowed two runs and six hits while winning his straight start to begin the season. The right-hander struck out six and walked one.
The Giants jumped in front on Marrero’s first career homer in the second, a drive to left off Tyler Anderson (1-2) after Eduardo Nunez walked with two out. It was Marrero’s 144th at-bat in a major league career that goes back to 2011.
The 28-year-old Marrero, a first-round pick by Washington in 2006, is in his 12th year in pro ball and logged 4,005 at-bats in the minors. He went 2 for 3 after going into Friday hitting .056 (1 for 18).
Anderson lasted just four innings. The left-hander allowed four runs and five hits, and also was charged with two balks — matching a franchise record.
Crawford, who connected for his second homer in the fourth inning, was in the lineup for the first time since traveling to Los Angeles to be with family after his sister-in-law’s death earlier this week.
D.J. LeMahieu had two hits and improved to 10 for 28 against Cueto, but the two-time All-Star got him to hit into an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
Both Rockies runs scored in the fifth after Tony Wolters knocked the ball out of Giants second baseman Joe Panik’s glove on his way to second on a weak grounder off pinch hitter Stephen Cardullo’s bat with the bases loaded.
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray was placed on the disabled list with a broken left foot. He suffered the injury in the fourth inning of Thursday night’s game. He is expected to miss at least a month. Gray missed time in spring training with a big toe injury on the same foot. ... OF Gerardo Parra was placed on three-day paternity leave. He traveled to Miami for the birth of his daughter. ... OF Raimel Tapia and RHP Shane Carle were called up from Triple-A Albuquerque.
Giants: C Buster Posey is ramping up baseball activities, and all indications are he is on target to come off the seven-day disabled list for concussion symptoms on Tuesday when the Giants open a three-game series in Kansas City. Posey took swings off a tee and in a cage on Friday, and will start running the bases over the weekend. Posey is expected to be the Giants DH in the Royals series. He could play first base in next weekend’s series at Colorado. “We have to get him through the weekend and see where we’re at before we’re ready to announce that we’re set to go in Kansas City,” manager Bruce Bochy said.
Rockies: RHP Tyler Chatwood is searching for his first win after going 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in his first two starts. He was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four starts against the Giants last season.
Giants: LHP Matt Moore (1-1, 2.70 ERA) pitched eight innings of three-hit ball in Monday’s home opener. He is 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last seven home starts going back to last season.
