SAN FRANCISCO – Jason Schmidt provided the perfect sendoff for San Francisco’s longest road trip in 15 years, taking a shutout into the ninth inning to lead the Giants to their ninth straight win, 3-1 over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Michael Tucker hit a two-run homer and Pedro Feliz went 3-for-3 with an RBI for the Giants, who have a winning record for the first time since April 14. After sweeping the Rockies and Diamondbacks in a six-game homestand, the Giants start a 14-game trip Monday in Arizona.

The Rockies could manage only a first-inning double by Todd Helton and a single in the fifth by Charles Johnson off Schmidt (6-2) and lost for the 10th time in 11 games overall and ninth consecutive time in San Francisco.

Schmidt struck out 11 and allowed only one batter to reach second before being replaced by Jason Christiansen following a leadoff walk in the ninth to Mark Sweeney. Christiansen retired Helton on a groundout before Matt Herges relieved.

Herges got an out then gave up a run-scoring triple to Jeromy Burnitz, a catchable fly that center fielder Marquis Grissom lost in the sun. He then struck out Matt Holliday for his 16th save.

After beginning the season with two losses after a stint on the disabled list, Schmidt has quickly regained the form he had last year when he won the NL ERA title. He is 6-0 with a 1.73 ERA over his last seven starts, striking out 60 in 52 innings.

Before the game, Giants manager Felipe Alou pointed to Schmidt’s dominance as the key to the Giants’ recent resurgence. His one-hitter against the Chicago Cubs on May 18 snapped a four-game skid that dropped San Francisco a season-worst eight games under .500.

Even though the Giants lost the next day on an extra-inning homer by Moises Alou, they haven’t fallen since to get back into the NL West race.

They won Sunday even with Barry Bonds getting the day off. Tucker provided all the offense Schmidt needed with his first-inning homer against Joe Kennedy (4-3) that landed in McCovey Cove.

Tucker’s splash hit was the 34th by the Giants in their fifth season at this ballpark, joining Jose Cruz Jr., J.T. Snow and Felipe Crespo (twice) as the only players other than Bonds to do it for San Francisco.

Kennedy escaped further damage in the first inning with a quick pickoff move. He nabbed Feliz at second for the second out, and then after walking Dustan Mohr, caught him off first to end the inning.

Feliz made up for it in the third inning with his RBI double, but Edgardo Alfonzo got thrown out at home after running through third-base coach Gene Glynn’s stop sign.

Alfonzo also had a tough day in the field losing an infield popup in the sun in the sixth. The dropped popup caused no damage – it rolled into foul territory and Schmidt retired Todd Helton on a comebacker two pitches later. Alfonzo did make a diving stop to rob Vinny Castilla in the seventh.

Notes: The Giants haven’t had a 14-game road trip since 1989, when they went 5-9. … The winning streak is San Francisco’s longest since winning nine straight after the All-Star break last season. … After Holliday struck out to open the fifth, Giants catcher A.J. Pierzynski threw the ball into left field – well wide and high of Alfonzo at third base – to start the ball around the horn. … Kennedy, who allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings, is 0-3 with a 5.19 ERA his last five starts after going 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA his first six. … Schmidt had his 16th double-digit strikeout game of his career and third this season.

AP-ES-05-30-04 1832EDT