SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — Casey Schmitt’s three-run home run in the sixth inning turned a tie game into a three-run lead, and Tyler Mahle pitched seven strong innings as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Saturday evening at Oracle Park.

The Giants won before a crowd of 35,194 in a brisk 2-hour, 16-minute contest that evened the four-game series at a game apiece. San Francisco improved to 40-55, while Colorado fell to 39-58.

Mahle, acquired in the offseason, allowed one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk in seven innings. He earned his second win against eight losses. JT Brubaker worked the final two innings for his first save, giving up one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts.

Kyle Freeland took the loss for Colorado, also dropping to 2-8. He allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out seven and walking one.

The game was scoreless through two innings as both starters worked efficiently. Colorado broke through in the third. Brett Sullivan led off with a double to right field, moved to third on a groundout by Jake McCarthy and scored on a single to center by Mickey Moniak.

The Rockies nursed that 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth. Freeland had retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced, allowing only a single to Luis Arraez in the fourth. But the Giants tied it in the fifth. Bryce Eldridge doubled to right with one out, and after Jung Hoo Lee struck out, Jesus Rodriguez doubled to center, scoring Eldridge.

The decisive moment came in the sixth. Heliot Ramos singled to center leading off. Luis Arraez followed with a single to center, sending Ramos to third. Schmitt then launched a 1-0 pitch from Freeland deep to left-center field for his 19th home run of the season, clearing the bases and giving the Giants a 4-1 lead.

San Francisco’s bullpen made the lead stand. Brubaker entered in the eighth and immediately faced trouble. After retiring the first two batters, Kyle Karros homered to left-center, his ninth of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-2. But Brubaker got Troy Johnston to ground out to end the inning. He then set down the Rockies in order in the ninth, striking out Cole Carrigg and getting Willi Castro to ground out to end the game.

Colorado had chances earlier. In the fifth, the Rockies put two runners on with singles by McCarthy and Moniak, but Hunter Goodman grounded out to third to end the threat. Mahle pitched out of a jam in the seventh after walking Ezequiel Tovar to start the inning, then retired the next three batters.

The Rockies finished with six hits. Moniak had two hits and drove in the game’s first run. Karros homered and also doubled. Sullivan had two doubles.

The Giants managed seven hits. Arraez had two singles. Schmitt’s homer was his only hit of the afternoon, but it accounted for three of the Giants’ four runs. Rodriguez doubled and drove in a run. Eldridge doubled and scored.

Defensively, the Giants turned a double play in the seventh when Jesus Rodriguez grounded into a 6-4-3 twin killing after Jung Hoo Lee reached on an error by third baseman Karros.

Colorado had won the series opener 4-3 on Friday, but the Giants rebounded Saturday after dropping the previous two meetings at Oracle Park — the Rockies won Thursday’s series opener 7-3 and Friday’s game 4-3. San Francisco had lost three of its last four overall entering Saturday.

The two teams conclude the four-game set Sunday afternoon. Colorado then returns home for a six-game homestand against Cincinnati and Washington. San Francisco heads to Seattle for a three-game series before traveling to Kansas City.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Francisco Giants 5, Colorado Rockies 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected San Francisco with a 64.00 percent probability to win. San Francisco had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 6 went over the over-under line of 8.5.