SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Matt Cain pitched eight solid innings to earn his career-best 15th win, Pablo Sandoval homered for his first time in two months and the San Francisco Giants moved another game closer to clinching the NL West title with a 7-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.

Sandoval's three-run shot in the first inning off Tyler Chatwood (4-5) was his ninth homer of the season and helped hand Cain (15-5) another milestone in a season full of them. With the second-place Dodgers splitting a doubleheader in Washington, San Francisco (86-63) lowered its magic number to clinch the division to five.

Cain allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked four. Chris Nelson scored Colorado's only run on D.J. LeMahieu's flyout in the fifth.

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