DENVER — The San Francisco Giants burned through all their front-line relievers while winning a messy series opener at Coors Field — something managers refer to as a costly win.

A night later, they paid for it.
With Manager Bruce Bochy forced to coax a sixth inning out of Joe Martinez, the Colorado Rockies released the dogs on him. They remained unleashed the rest of the night while the Rockies ripped off a 14-11 victory Saturday night on a balmy, hitter-happy night.
The Giants led 6-1 in the fourth, but Martinez gave back two in the bottom of that inning. He didn’t retire any of the three batters he faced in the sixth, and his night ended after Ian Stewart’s tying, three-run home run.
Justin Miller (2-2) retired just one of the seven hitters he faced as the Rockies romped to a seven-run inning. Merkin Valdez got tagged for four more in the seventh.
The Rockies extended their NL wild card lead to two games over the Giants. The NL West-leading Dodgers also won to stay 4 › games ahead of Colorado.
The Giants’ league-best bullpen is a heap of rubble — and they still have two more games to play in lively heat at Coors. They’ll need length from Tim Lincecum on Sunday.
They’ll also need to play more taut in the field than they did Saturday. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, whose defense has slipped on this trip, cost Martinez an unearned run in the fourth when he dropped Nate Schierholtz’s jaw-dropping throw from right field. Schierholtz made his own mistake behind Miller, whiffing on Dexter Fowler’s deep drive that was scored a triple.
And while it didn’t cost the Giants a run, center fielder Aaron Rowand made an ill-conceived throw to third base that allowed the Rockies to move another runner into scoring position.
Buried amid the insanity was Ryan Garko, who hit his first two home runs as a Giant. Both were two-run shots and the first one came in his 68th at-bat with the club.
The Giants’ other trade addition, Freddy Sanchez, missed his fifth consecutive game with a strained teres major muscle in the back of his left shoulder. Sanchez said his shoulder felt better for the first time in four days, but he didn’t expect to start until Monday at the earliest.
It’s near certain that Sanchez will not get the 159 plate appearances he needs to vest an $8.1 million club option for next season. While it has been widely assumed the Giants will pick up the option, Sanchez said the club has not expressed that intention to him.
“There’s been no indication one way or the other,” said Sanchez, adding it’s the last thing on his mind right now. “I’d better get back on the field and play and do what I got traded over here to do.”
In the early innings, it looked as if the Giants wouldn’t miss Sanchez. They jumped on Jorge De La Rosa, a left-hander who had led the Rockies to wins in 10 of his previous 11 starts.
Schierholtz hit a two-run homer in the second inning. It was such a lively night, Martinez collected his first two big league hits, too.
At least the Giants made the Rockies pay their own toll, forcing them to use closer Huston Street even though they had an eight-run lead in the seventh inning. Garko’s second homer came in the eighth, and Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run shot in the ninth.
The Giants’ five home runs were their most in a game since they hit six on Aug. 7, 2006, at Arizona.