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(Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies are up to their old tricks again.
Known for late-season surges, the Rockies appear to be headed in that direction and will try to stay hot Tuesday in the second installment of a three-game series against the NL West-rival San Francisco Giants.
Colorado took the baseball world by storm in 2007, when it made an improbable run to the World Series with a September to remember. The Rockies, who did it again last season before bowing out in the NLDS, came alive in the ninth inning of last night's game at AT&T Park to rally for a 2-1 win.
With the Giants clinging to a 1-0 lead in the top of the ninth, Dexter Fowler walked to start the frame and came home on MVP candidate Carlos Gonzalez's ensuing triple. Gonzalez then crossed the plate with the go-ahead run on Freddy Sanchez's throwing error.
Huston Street set San Francisco down in order in the bottom half for his 13th save as the Rockies posted their third straight victory and won for the seventh time in eight tries.
Jorge De La Rosa started for the Rockies and pitched seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts, while Rafael Betancourt earned the win with two K's in the eighth inning.
"I don't think you can understate that win right there," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said on the club's website after the game.
Even with a lack of offense, the Rockies were able to gain ground in the Wild Card standings, pulling within 3 1/2 games of Philadelphia after the Phillies lost to Los Angeles Monday night. Colorado is also seven games out of first place in the National League West Division.
The team may not have shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the lineup tonight, however. He missed Monday's win with a sore left groin and is day-to-day.
Taking on the Giants tonight will be young right-hander Esmil Rogers. He is 2-2 with a 5.66 earned run average in 17 games (6 starts) this season and hasn't recorded a decision in three straight appearances. Rogers was hammered in his most recent appearance, a 12-10 Colorado win over Atlanta last Wednesday, as he allowed seven runs and eight hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Rogers is still in search of his first career win over San Francisco, having gone 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two previous games (1 start).
The Giants, meanwhile, missed out on a chance to move closer to the Phillies in the race for the final postseason spot in the NL. They could have also gained ground on the Padres in the NL West, but the rough ninth inning sealed their fate.
Buster Posey seemed to be recovered from a recent arm injury and gave San Francisco the lead with an RBI single in the fourth inning. The lead would hold until the ninth, when Brian Wilson gave up Gonzalez's RBI triple and Sanchez's relay throw ended up in the crowd.
"It's a tough loss to take," Sanchez said. "I didn't have a good grip on that throw. If I would have had a good grip and made a better throw, we'd probably still be playing."
San Francisco starter Jonathan Sanchez was solid through eight-plus innings and yielded just one run and five hits with six strikeouts. He also walked a pair of batters for the Giants, who are 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the Wild Card standings and five games in back of division-leading San Diego.
The Giants are in the midst of 19 straight games against NL West foes.
Young pitching prospect Madison Bumgarner will handle pitching duties Tuesday and is 5-4 with a 3.95 earned run average in 12 starts. Bumgarner is only 1-2 in his last six starts and did not record a decision in last Wednesday's 12-11 loss to Cincinnati. He lasted only 2 2/3 innings and was touched for eight runs -- seven earned -- and seven hits.
The lefty lost at Colorado on August 4 of this season, as he allowed four runs on nine hits in just four innings. He is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in two career starts in this series.
The Rockies have won eight of 13 meetings with San Francisco this season.