SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — Carson Whisenhunt pitched 5 2/3 solid innings and Casey Schmitt homered as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Thursday night at Oracle Park before 42,301 fans in a game that lasted 2 hours, 46 minutes.

The Giants improved to 39-54, while the Rockies fell to 38-57. San Francisco won for the second time in three meetings with Colorado this week, avenging a 7-6 loss Sunday in Denver. The two teams continue the four-game series Friday.

Schmitt gave the Giants a 1-0 lead in the first inning when he launched an 18th home run to center field off Colorado starter Ryan Feltner. The Rockies answered in the fourth. After Hunter Goodman singled and TJ Rumfield walked, Willi Castro crushed a 7th homer to left center, scoring Goodman and putting Colorado ahead 2-1.

The lead lasted less than a half-inning. Bryce Eldridge led off the bottom of the fourth with an 8th homer to right, tying the game 2-2. The Giants then grabbed control in the fifth. Drew Cavanaugh singled, Heliot Ramos singled and Luis Arraez doubled to right, scoring Cavanaugh. After Schmitt walked, Rafael Devers singled to right, driving in Ramos. The inning ended with San Francisco ahead 4-2.

Feltner was charged with four earned runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking three. He fell to 3-3.

Whisenhunt allowed two earned runs on three hits, walked four and struck out four. He improved to 2-0. JT Brubaker, Erik Miller and Caleb Kilian combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out five.

The Giants broke the game open in the eighth. With reliever Victor Vodnik on the mound, Arraez singled and Schmitt doubled to center, scoring Arraez. Devers followed with a ground-rule double to right, scoring Schmitt. Willy Adames then crushed a 15th homer to left, scoring Devers and making it 8-2. Vodnik allowed one earned run on one hit over 1 2/3 innings, striking out three.

Colorado managed only five hits. Castro drove in both runs. The Rockies went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base.

San Francisco pounded out 13 hits. Schmitt finished 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs. Devers went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Eldridge went 2 for 3 with a homer and one RBI. Arraez had two hits, including a double.

The Rockies had won three of their previous four games entering Thursday, including a 7-6, 11-inning victory Monday at Los Angeles. The Giants had lost three straight before Thursday, getting swept by Toronto at home earlier in the week.

Colorado continues its road trip with three games at San Francisco through Sunday, then returns home to host Cincinnati next weekend. San Francisco hosts Colorado again Friday and Saturday before traveling to Seattle and Kansas City.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Giants 6, Rockies 5. The ELO system gave San Francisco a 63.10 percent probability to win. The Giants were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 10 went under the over-under line of 8.