For the second time this season, the Rockies made Tim Lincecum, the two-time defending Cy Young winner, look like just another pitcher.

This time, 22-year-old Jhoulys Chacin kept the Rockies in the game long enough to win 6-3.

Chacin shook off a two-run first inning in which Aubrey Huff hit a long home run to right field. He held the Giants scoreless for the next four frames before serving up another home run to Huff.

Against a pitcher like Lincecum, it is imperative for the opposing pitcher to do everything that he can to keep his team in the game.

While Chacin gave up three runs in six innings, he really only made two bad pitches, both of which were deposited into the seats in right field by a veteran hitter. The second home run was not a terrible pitch; Huff just got it into the jet stream.

When a rookie pitcher can get through six innings and only give up the two bad pitches, it is a successful outing. Chacin gave up five hits. He walked two hitters while striking out five.

While Chacin did his part to keep the Rockies close, the Rockies resurgent offense once again did its job to pick up a “W.”

Clint Barmes, who once again had a phenomenal June, continued his destruction, clubbing a two-run, game tying shot to left field off of Lincecum in the bottom of the second inning.

The home run was big because it would have been so easy to allow the Lincecum to get into a groove and dominate the Rockies offense. Instead, the home run made it a new ballgame before the Cy Young winner could get comfortable.

Jonathan Herrera also remained highly involved in the Rockies offensive resurrection. He notched a 2-for-3 night off of Lincecum, driving in the go-ahead run.

He also took a great at bat in the sixth inning when, with two strikes, he found a way to get a ball in the air deep enough to score Ian Stewart from third base.

Dexter Fowler, fresh off of his trip to Triple-A, clearly brought confidence with him in his return. He knocked a triple off of Lincecum and finished the night 3-for-3 with two walks and a run scored.

As so many Rockies fans have almost come to expect, the Rockies seem to have hit their stride. They are not relying on one player to continue to shoulder the load for the team.

While Barmes and Herrera have consistently been delivering for the Rockies, the contributions are also coming from Jason Giambi, Melvin Mora, and Jhoulys Chacin.

Guys like Matt Belisle, who may ice his arm for the entire All-Star break, continue to be more than dependable for the club.

With Troy Tulowitzki on the disabled list for another month at least, the Rockies have picked up their game to another level, proving to their fans, and perhaps themselves, that they are indeed good enough to compete for their first-ever National League West crown.

It has to be encouraging for the Rockies to see how disappointed they have been with their early-season play and realize that they are just four games out and still waiting to play their best baseball for more than a two-week stretch.

 

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