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SAN FRANCISCO -- Jeff Samardzija is going to prepare as if he might pitch a potential wild-card playoff game Monday and stay ready in case he might be needed sooner if San Franciscos season is on the line.The Giants wasted Samardzijas latest stellar start with a chance to grab momentum after a big offensive outburst a night earlier, yet instead the playoff-hopeful Giants ended up with a costly dud in a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.As long as they know Im ready, thats all that counts, Samardzija said. ... This is the time of year, man, this feels great to be out there pitching when the weather turns a little bit and the season comes to an end. I always love being able to see the finish line and it always allows me to go a little harder. I enjoy staring down the tube when its about to be done and just let it all hang out. Hopefully we get a chance to do that here a handful more times.The bats had better be ready the rest of the way, too.Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood (12-9) struck out nine in eight innings and outdueled Samardzija (12-11), shutting down San Francisco a day after the Giants pounded 19 hits in a 12-3 win.San Francisco dropped 1 1/2 games behind the Mets for the top wild card and remained a game up on St. Louis for the second spot after the Cardinals lost to Cincinnati.In a game that began with a hovering mist above the field on a cool Bay Area night -- with first-pitch temperature 55 degrees -- Samardzija struck out a season-high 11 in six-plus innings of his final regular season start. He allowed seven hits and two runs, walking one.Pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinson doubled leading off the ninth against Rockies closer Boone Logan, who then allowed Brandon Belts two-out infield single. Adam Ottavino retired Buster Posey on a groundout to third to end it for his sixth save.The Giants lone runner to reach second before the ninth was Angel Pagan on a wild pitch in the second. What a contrast from San Franciscos free-swinging performance Tuesday, when it produced 10 extra-base hits with three home runs, four triples and three doubles.Two different teams, manager Bruce Bochy said of his club from one night to the next. Chatwoods been tough on us. He was good tonight. We just couldnt figure him out. We had a runner on second base one time through eight innings. Thats going to work. We pitched well, we played well, this offense couldnt get it going, couldnt figure him out.Twice baserunners were caught stealing and the Giants grounded into two double plays. They know they have serious work to do in order to keep alive a streak of World Series championships in even years this decade: 2010, 12 and 14.Samardzija has struck out nine or more in each of his past three starts against the Rockies. With runners on first and third and one out in the sixth, Samardzija induced an inning-ending double play by Nolan Arenado.Chatwood dazzled -- and that has been the norm for him away from Coors Field. He allowed three hits and walked two as the Rockies snapped an eight-game road losing streak.He is 8-1 with a majors-best 1.69 ERA in 13 road starts, and he is 3-1 with a 2.12 ERA in six career outings at AT&T Park. Chatwoods road ERA is the lowest in franchise history for pitchers with at least 80 innings.After allowing Conor Gillaspies leadoff single in the third, Chatwood retired the next 11 batters in order before Belt drew a leadoff walk in the seventh.He can put the ball on the ground with the best of them. He got two huge double plays. To shut that team down for eight innings, that was impressive, manager Walt Weiss said.Arenado and Gerardo Parra hit RBI singles for the Rockies.In Thursday nights series finale, San Francisco will try to win just its second home series since the All-Star break and fourth series overall in 22 over the second half.San Francisco was shut out for the 13th time, nine coming after the All-Star break.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: NL batting leader DJ LeMahieu, hitting .349, had the night off as Weiss went with Daniel Descalso. Weiss will pick his moments when to use LeMahieu over the final week.Giants: While INF Eduardo Nunez still hopes to return from a hamstring injury this weekend for the season-ending series against the NL West champion Dodgers, Bochy considers it questionable. Nunez has a mild right hamstring pull. ... RHP Johnny Cuetos strained left groin felt fine a day after his bullpen session and he is set to start Thursdays series finale.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Jon Gray (10-9, 4.45 ERA) has struck out 26 batters his past two starts, most in a two-game span in club history.Giants: Cueto (17-5, 2.79) is 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA in three starts against the Rockies this season. Marlins Jerseys 2020 .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. Todd Dunwoody Jersey . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. https://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.us/ . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. John Cangelosi Jersey . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Custom Miami Marlins Jerseys . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR.MIAMI -- The list of coaches with back-to-back NBA championships includes some of the games giants -- names such as Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Chuck Daly, and of course Pat Riley. Erik Spoelstra is now part of their fraternity. And he seems completely unimpressed by that. At just 42 years old, Spoelstra is now a two-time champion coach with the Miami Heat, having guided the club to the last three NBA Finals and last two titles. Only 12 other men in the history of the league have multiple titles as a coach. Only seven others have collected rings in back-to-back years -- and of those, six have been immortalized in the Basketball Hall of Fame. To most people, joining such a group would sound like some major accomplishment. For Spoelstra, not so much. "Not really," Spoelstra said, asked if hed stopped to consider the historical significance of his back-to-back titles. "No." Thats why this week, when Spoelstra would be within his rights to continue celebrating Miamis seven-game triumph over the San Antonio Spurs for this seasons title, hes not on a beach somewhere. Instead, hes in his office, where he plans to be for the next few weeks to prepare for the looming draft (even though the Heat currently have no picks to use Thursday night), the start of free agency and Miamis upcoming summer-league appearances. Hes the guy who started in the Heat video room before working his way up to being entrusted with what Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and Riley, the teams president, have spent nearly two decades building. Spoelstra likes to quip that for the first two years, Riley didnt even know his name. "I dont think that he gets enough credit for his abilities to be able to manage us," said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who has spent all 10 of his pro seasons working with Spoelstra. "He does a great job of managing egos. He does a great job of keeping us level-headed. It takes a special guy to have guys of this calibre to all stay on one path and not jump off. Thats his strength, his ability to be able manage this team. Thats his greatness with this unit." Spoelstra told his team in the beginning of training camp -- and on a preseason trip to China -- that this path to a championship would have to be different. He was right. His team rolled through the regular season, winning 27 straight games at one point on the way to a 66-16 record. But in the playoffs, the Heat had to grind, first through a 1-0 deficit in the second round against Chicago, then a Game 7 against Indiana in the East finals, then seven more games against the Spurs. "Starting in China together, having an opportunity to visit the White House together, having an opportunity to sharre the All-Star weekend together, 27-game win streak, and then we get into the playoffs, after that first round that playoff run felt more challenging," Spoelstra said.dddddddddddd "In some ways it was extremely gratifying." On the way to the 2012 title, he had a black replica of the NBA championship trophy made as part of his motivational tactics to use during the playoffs. And a similar ploy was used this time around. Another black trophy, this time with a slightly different design and theme, was part of the bond the Heat forged for the playoffs, a reminder of the promises players and coaches made along the way. A marker was used to denote on the trophy how the Heat were advancing along the title path. "It bound our agreement of what we would be willing to do and to sacrifice for each other," Spoelstra said. "We made our marks, in order of seniority. The couple middle rounds, we made with blood red because those series were so dang physical. And the last one, out of ultimate respect for our competitor, absolute, ultimate respect for who we were playing, we made them in silver for the Spurs." It took more than a motivational trick to beat the Spurs. One of Spoelstras best memories of his second championship season as coach of the Heat was the aftermath of the teams most lopsided defeat. It was Game 3 of the NBA Finals, a night where the Heat lost to the Spurs by 36 points and fell behind in the championship series. Spoelstra, searching for answers, retreated to his hotel room. The first knock on his door was from assistant coach David Fizdale. The next was from another assistant, Dan Craig. And the third was from Riley, who was bearing gifts. "I was despondent. I was beside myself," Spoelstra said. "I went back to my suite to break down film after the game. Fiz stopped by so we could work it out. Dan Craig stopped by to bring us film and to work it out. And about 20 minutes later Pat knocks on my door, and he comes in with three bottles of wine and he said Coach, what do you need me to do? So we gave him a laptop and he helped us break down film. "It was one of the most special moments in my professional career." Days later, Riley and Spoelstra were arm-in-arm in the back hallways of AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, celebrating another Heat championship. For Riley, its his ninth overall. For Spoelstra, his third, including the one he claimed as an assistant in 2006. They have no plan to stop now. "Its going to be hard to keep up with what were doing for his whole career," Wade said. "But he is one of the games young greats. And he is on the path of the Pat Rileys and those kind of coaches." ' ' '