SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- What a difference six days and a change of venue made for Livan Hernandez.

Hernandez rebounded from a dreadful outing at Coors Field on Wednesday by taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning as the San Francisco Giants slowed down the Colorado Rockies, 4-1, in the first half of a day-night doubleheader.

The Cuban righthander was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits over five innings in a 17-13 loss at Colorado last week and has surrendered 16 runs in two outings at the hitter-friendly park this season.

Today, Hernandez (7-6) looked much more comfortable at Pacific Bell Park, allowing just three walks through six innings before walking Jeff Cirillo to start the seventh.

"He just moved the ball in and out better today compared to Colorado," Giants catcher Bobby Estalella said. "It makes it fun when a pitcher does his job. His breaking ball was sharp, the slider was nice and he was throwing his fastball by people. He was getting ahead of everybody.

"The ball just wasn't breaking for him in Colorado. His slider didn't have a bite and it wasn't sharp. I'm glad we don't have to go over there. It's a fun place to hit but I'd rather not have to run a staff there."

Todd Helton, the major leagues' leading hitter, followed Cirillo's walk with a single to right, ending Hernandez's bid for his first career no-hitter.

"I didn't really think about (the no-hitter). I wanted to win the game," noted Hernandez, who said he threw a pair of no-hitters in Cuba. "I'm pitching better every day."

Hernandez, who gave the Giants a 4-0 lead with a two-out RBI single that capped a three-run sixth, lost the shutout when Jeffrey Hammonds grounded into a forceout. But he escaped further trouble by inducing Brent Mayne to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Hernandez came within an out of his third complete game of the season, but Hammonds and Mayne had back-to-back singles with two out in the ninth, prompting San Francisco manager Dusty Baker to call on closer Robb Nen with the tying run at the plate.

"That's why we wanted to have Livan start the first game today," Baker said. "He seems to always work deep into a game. We certainly didn't want to go too deep into the bullpen in the first game. He still had a good fastball and command. They hadn't hit the ball well off him, but in the last couple of innings they started to hit a few balls hard.

"That was his best overall game. He's a strong man. Now he's over .500. Hopefully, he can reel off five or six wins and really get over .500."

Nen got Neifi Perez to ground out to second, preserving the win for Hernandez and recording his 14th save in 19 chances.

Hernandez allowed a run and matched a career low by surrendering four hits. He struck out seven and walked five and has won his last three decisions. San Francisco also has a three-game winning streak.

"I feel great," Hernandez said. "I threw as long as I can, I felt relaxed. It feels good to get a base hit. My slider worked today, I was able to run my fastball in on the hitter. I couldn't throw a good slider in Colorado."

The Giants were without All-Star slugger Barry Bonds, who has been bothered by a stress fracture of his right thumb. Bonds will miss the nightcap and may have to sit out again on Wednesday, according to trainer Stan Conte.

Masato Yoshii (4-8) took the loss, surrendering four runs and eight hits over seven innings, snapping his personal three-game win streak.

The Rockies had won five of their previous six.

The Giants gave Hernandez an early lead with which to work. Marvin Benard led off the first with a double to right and went to third on Bill Mueller's fly to deep right. Felipe Crespo followed with a sacrifice fly to open the scoring.

Hernandez and Yoshii dueled into the bottom of the sixth. Mueller led off with a single to right, stole second and went to third on Crespo's groundout. Jeff Kent was intentionally walked and J.T. Snow delivered a run-scoring single to make it 2-0.

Rich Aurilia added an RBI single to left-center, plating Kent and moving Snow to third. Aurilia was gunned down trying to advance to second, but Yoshii walked Armando Rios and struck out Estalella before Hernandez stroked a run-scoring single to right.

Hernandez walked Larry Walker with two out in the first and one out in the fourth before putting Perez on with two out in the fifth. He did not allow a runner beyond second until Helton singled Cirillo to third in the seventh.