Giants level Rockies 9-2

It took Scott McClain 19 seasons to hit a major league home run. When he got his first one yesterday, he soaked it in.
“As it was leaving it was a moment of relief,” the 36-year-old rookie said. “I’m glad I hit one that was a no-doubter.”

McClain’s home run backed Barry Zito, who won for the third time in four starts. Nate Schierholtz also had a career-high four hits as the San Francisco Giants slowed the Colorado Rockies with a 9-2 victory yesterday.
McClain, who has hit 287 homers in 1,664 minor league games, hit a solo home run in the sixth inning.
“All the hard work he’s put in, all the home runs he’s hit in the minor leagues, to get one here, the team was just elated for him,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy. McClain had three hits and drove in three runs in his first start since being called up from triple-A Fresno on Tuesday.
“The Giants calling me up the past two Septembers makes the hard work pay off and makes it worth it,” he said.
He signed with San Francisco in January 2007 and hit .300 with 29 homers and 108 RBIs for Fresno this year.
“The last three or four years, I’ve said this is my last season going in, but for some reason I end up putting up fairly decent numbers, and it makes it worth it to come back,” said McClain.
Elsewhere in the NL it was: Arizona 4 St. Louis 3; New York 9 Milwaukee 2; Florida 5 Atlanta 3; Hoston 4 Chicago 0; Washington 9 Philadelphia 7; Pittsburgh 6 Cincinnati 5; and Los Angeles 6 San Diego 4.