http://0rz.tw/cAK47 Three-run fourth enough for Cain to top Rox By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 6/4/2011 3:16 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO -- Three is always a key number in baseball, as in strikes per batter and outs per inning. It's also the operative figure when Matt Cain starts for the Giants. Since the beginning of last season, Cain is 15-0 with a 2.25 ERA when the Giants amass at least three runs for him. They scored in only one inning Friday night, but they reached Cain's magic number in that isolated instance. Cain again spun a victory for himself and the Giants out of that relatively meager total. He rebounded from a mild slump to pitch seven resolute innings as San Francisco triumphed over the Colorado Rockies, 3-1. Cain (4-4) struggled in his previous two outings, losing both while allowing nine runs and 17 hits in 12 innings. This time, he yielded just four hits and the Rockies' lone run while improving to 12-7 with a 3.16 ERA lifetime against Colorado. After scoring 19 runs in their previous two games, the Giants resumed their offensive silence against Colorado rookie Juan Nicasio (1-1). Except for the fourth inning, when Cody Ross' two-run double and Brandon Crawford's RBI double enlivened the drizzle-dampened crowd, San Francisco moved only two runners into scoring position. But Cain felt obligated to make the Giants' output suffice. As he explained, the entire rotation feels that way. "[With] a two- or three-run lead, that's set in our mind that we want to make sure we keep it," said Cain, whose seven strikeouts matched a season high. "We try to make sure and get a shutdown inning after we score runs like that." Suppressing the Rockies immediately after the Giants' big fourth indeed proved to be Cain's biggest challenge. Nicasio yanked his second surprising double of the game to lead off Colorado's fifth. Cain responded by striking out Seth Smith and coaxing Jonathan Herrera's foul popup, but Carlos Gonzalez singled and stole second base on a 3-1 pitch to Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki ultimately walked on a 3-2 delivery to load the bases and bring Todd Helton to the plate. Given Tulowitzki's .333 career average against Cain entering the game, compared to .216 for Helton, the right-hander appeared to be making a sensible choice. But Cain knew he was courting trouble no matter what he did. "It's not always a comfortable situation when you're thinking about pitching around [Tulowitzki] and you've got Helton, who's hitting .300, behind him," Cain said. "We know his track record. He hits all the time. That's what he does for fun." This time, the fun belonged the Giants, as Helton whacked a 1-0 pitch directly to Cain for an inning-ending comebacker. Those with somewhat long memories know that Cain-against-Helton matchups often prove entertaining. This has been the case since Cain's Major League debut on Aug. 29, 2005, when Helton's flyout to deep left field ended a 14-pitch standoff. Asked if he ever recalled that confrontation, Cain said, "You're telling me," citing Helton's initial plate appearance in Friday's second inning. "That's what I was thinking about when I had him 0-2 and he started fouling off good pitches and I ended up walking him," Cain added. Cain endured no such drama after escaping the fifth. He retired the final seven batters he faced, maintaining his endurance while throwing a season-high 116 pitches. "He's a lot like any pitcher that kind of buckles down when he's in a jam and brings out his best pitches," Smith said. "I didn't have my best swing today. You mix those two things together and most of the time it's not going to work out." Said Cain, "I worried about location more than velocity. That helped me get my mechanics right and get into a little bit of a groove." The Giants are hoping that they have found a groove. They improved to 17-9 against National League West rivals, including 9-1 at home -- which includes a 4-0 mark against Colorado. San Francisco has won four of its last five games and remained in first place, a half-game ahead of Arizona. All this could have crumbled, but Brian Wilson secured his 16th save by striking out Smith with a pair of runners aboard. A reporter asked Giants manager Bruce Bochy whether this was a "textbook" Giants victory, featuring strong pitching and minimal offense. Bochy put his own finish on the interrogator's sentence. " ... And at the end of the game, Wilson put two guys on," Bochy said. "So you're right. It's textbook." Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. --

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