SAN FRANCISCO -- The Colorado Rockies struck early and received strong pitching to beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 and win a sixth straight game at the outset of their road season for the first time in club history.

The defending World Series champs lost six straight games in the season's opening month for the first time since April 10-16, 2009.

Left-handed starter Tyler Matzek (1-0) pitched six innings to earn the win while newly appointed closer Adam Ottavino saved his second game in as many nights with a scoreless ninth.

Only the first career home run by Giants third baseman Matt Duffy with one out in the eighth smudged Colorado's three innings of relief by three different pitchers. Right-hander Brooks Brown and left-hander Boone Logan preceded Ottavino in relief.

The 24-year-old Matzek settled down after throwing 28 pitches and surrendering his only run in the first to the offensively-challenged Giants.

Matzek finished by retiring all but three of San Francisco's final 17 batters. He allowed only a pinch-hit triple to Gregor Blanco between the third and fifth innings.

After permitting a leadoff infield single to Giants center fielder Angel Pagan, Matzek received defensive help from Nolan Arenado, who started a 5-4-3 double play on Buster Posey's hard grounder to third.

The Rockies jumped on Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum for three runs in the first inning. Lincecum labored through a 28-pitch opening inning and was within a strike of getting out unscathed.

But Arenado reached down and drove a breaking ball over the 382-foot sign in left-center field for a three-run homer. Arenado looked bad on a 0-1 curve that broke outside but fared better on the same pitch with an 0-2 count.

Colorado center fielder Charlie Blackmon walked and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki reached on a one-out single before first baseman Justin Morneau struck out to set the stage for Arenado's third homer of the season.

The Giants struck back in the bottom of the first. Pagan snapped the team's 0-for-19 streak with runners in scoring position by beating the shift with a one-out single to left center off Matzek. It drove in leadoff hitter and left fielder Nori Aoki, who was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on Colorado catcher Nick Hundley's throwing error.

Colorado tacked on a run in the second when Blackmon's one-out sacrifice fly to center scored Hundley, who led off the inning reaching on an error by San Francisco shortstop Joaquin Arias.

NOTES: Giants manager Bruce Bochy removed struggling regulars 1B Brandon Belt, SS Brandon Crawford and LF Gregor Blanco from the lineup Wednesday as RF Justin Maxwell, SS Joaquin Arias and C Hector Sanchez got the starts, with Buster Posey moving from behind the plate to first base. ... Colorado did not commit an error in its first six wins. ... Bochy said 3B Casey McGehee was available for pinch-hitting duties Wednesday. McGehee missed the previous three games with a bruised left knee. McGehee took batting practice and ran sprints beforehand. "It looks like he's gotten over the hump and is good to go now," Bochy said. ... The Giants came into Wednesday's game hitless in their last 18 at-bats with runners in scoring position. They were hitting .075 (3-for-40) with RISP over their last six. Conversely, Colorado was hitting .325 with RISP (27-for-83) with 33 RBIs. ... San Francisco faced a left-handed starting pitcher on Wednesday for the first time this season. ... LHP Jorge De La Rosa (strained left groin) completed his second rehab start at Triple-A Albuquerque and is slated to make his Rockies debut on Monday against San Diego, manager Walt Weiss said.