SAN FRANCISCO – Pinch-runner Eric Young avoided a tag at the plate to score the winning run in the ninth inning as the San Francisco Giants defeated the swooning Colorado Rockies 7-6 Wednesday.

Young scored on a sacrifice fly by Edgardo Alfonzo. Colorado right fielder Larry Walker, who has one of the game’s best arms, threw off line and Young was able to avoid a sweeping tag by catcher Charles Johnson and dive head first to score.

Even a Coors Field-like four homers could not save the Rockies from matching a club record with their 10th straight road loss.

J.T. Snow opened the Giants’ ninth with a single off Brian Fuentes (3-2). One out later, Barry Bonds singled high off the right-field wall – missing a game-ending homer by about 3 feet – and sent Snow to third. Young then pinch ran for Snow.

Joe Nathan (9-3) pitched one inning as the Giants won their fifth straight game and reduced their magic number for clinching the NL West to 13.

The Rockies are the worst road team in the major leagues this season with a record of 20-52. The Giants are the best home team in baseball, with a record of 48-19.

Rich Aurilia hit a first-inning grand slam for the Giants, his second slam of the season.

Jay Payton had two of Colorado’s four homers. Chris Stynes and Todd Helton also homered for the Rockies, who scored at least one run in each of the first five innings.

Coming into the game, Colorado had scored one run in its previous 32 innings.

Payton hit a pair of solo homers, giving him 24 for the season. It was his second multi-home game in five days – he also homered twice last Friday at Los Angeles. Payton is hitting .385 over his last 10 games, with seven homers and 12 RBIs.

The Rockies scored single runs in each of the first four innings. Stynes hit his 11th homer in the first, Payton led off the second and fourth with homers and a run scored on an error in the third.

Helton’s 28th homer, a two-run shot in the fifth, gave the Rockies a 6-5 lead. Snow tied it in the sixth with a run-scoring single for the Giants, who had gotten an RBI single in the third from Neifi Perez.

San Francisco’s Kirk Rueter had his third straight tough start since coming off the disabled list. He allowed six runs in 4 1-3 innings, including four home runs – matching a career high.

Colorado starter Jason Jennings gave up six runs in six innings.

Notes: With an intentional walk in the first inning, Bonds has more intentional walks (52) than strikeouts (51) this season. He also did that last season, with 68 intentional walks and only 47 strikeouts. … Giants right fielder Jose Cruz Jr. got his 17th outfield assist of the season, tying a team record. … Rueter last gave up four homers in a game on Aug. 18, 2000, at Montreal. … Aurilia had six straight hits, including two on Wednesday, before flying out in the fifth. … Payton had the fourth multi-homer game of his career, three of which have come this season. … The Rockies lost the season series 12-7 to the Giants. That’s the fifth straight season San Francisco has won the series from Colorado. … Colorado also lost 10 straight on the road in 1997 and 2000.

AP-ES-09-03-03 1842EDT