DENVER -- Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon spent nearly a month searching for the swing and pitch recognition that made him the National League batting champion last year. He felt close, but not quite there, and settled for a jam-shot single here, a move-the-runner fly ball there.
On Tuesday night, he joined what looks like a Rockies breakout. Blackmon whacked a first-inning home run -- his first in 42 at-bats -- to straightaway center field and added two more hits in his team's fifth victory in six games, an 8-1 win over the Giants at Coors Field.