The long awaited home opener had finally arrived, the moment that Giants fans have been waiting for ever since the last game of the season last year. This year hoping for a different fate. The Giants play host to the Diamondbacks, a team they had just seen 4 days ago, when the G-men took 3 of 4 to spoil the opening series in Arizona. The D-backs trying to return the favor to the Giants this time.
Newly acquired starter Tim Hudson took the ball in the opener for the team after showing the fans why the Giants got him. He wanted to continue that dominance against the D-backs in his first home start of the year. He lived up to the hype again. The strike zone was established early by Hudson, showing again his excellent command of his full arsenal of pitches. This time the D-back hitters were able to square up more of his pitches, but Hudson got excellent work from his defense to help him. He got touched up for 2 runs in the first 4 innings, getting into early inning jams when he gave up base hits to the leadoff batter. He did not let that phase him as he kept composed and limited the damage. Hudson got great help from his offense which continued it's torrid home run pace as Brandon Belt hit one in the first inning (a two-run shot). Michael Morse and Brandon Crawford came up with clutch hits later to drive in two runs apiece later in the game. Hudson kept dealing as the innings got later, racking up strikeouts when he needed them with his sharp slider, curveball and changeup. His finishing line was 8 innings, 2 Earned runs, 7 hits, no walks and 4 strikeouts. The home crowd was impressed with the veteran righty, and gave him a huge ovation as he walked off the field at the end of the 8th inning.
San Francisco 7, Arizona 3
Game 2 did not go the way the Giants would have liked, only a day removed from all the opening day festivities the Bochy gave the ball the ball to the 4th starter Tim Lincecum. It is always a hold your breath scenario when Timmy is on the mound verses the D-backs because of the insane success that Paul Goldschmidt has against him. He has 6 homers against Lincecum in his career. Early in the first inning that success continued. On a 1-1 pitch from Lincecum to Goldschmidt with runners on first and third with one out, Timmy threw a challenge fastball and Goldschmidt hit a 3-run opposite field home run. In AT&T park that is almost unheard of for someone to hit and opposite field homer but when you have the ownage that he does it will happen. The game continued this way for Lincecum, not able to keep the ball down, and the D-backs took advantage and scored 7 runs in 4 innings against the Giants righty capped off with a two-run homer by Gerardo Parra in the 4th inning. The Giants offense was put in a major hole being down 7-2, and were not able to solve the mystery that was Josh Collementer, who came in to replace Bronson Arroyo in the 6th. He went 4 shutout innings.
Arizona 7, San Francisco 3
In the rubber match of the 3 game series the Giants Ryan Vogelsong opposed the D-backs Randel Delgado. Vogelsong struggled in his first start agains the Dodgers and looked to turn that around against Arizona. Delgado coming into this game had the best overall ERA of any starting pitcher against the Giants in the majors. 0.96 ERA. Vogelsong struggles continued in the second inning when he hung a breaking ball to Cliff Pennington who took it the opposite way for a two-run single. The woes wore on as he gave up a two-run double to Miguel Montero on a breaking ball down and in that split the outfielders. The Giants did not let the 4-1 deficit phase them in any way, the offense had Vogelsong's back and score 4 runs in the next 3 innings to take the lead 5-4. The bullpen came in and took over the show. None bigger than Jean Machi who found himself in a bases loaded nobody out jam in the 7th. He kept composed and got a ground ball back to him which went 1-2-3 double play. Bochy then turned to Javier Lopez who came in and struck out Montero on a nasty changeup. All work was lost in the 8th when Pablo Sandoval made an error by throwing the ball over Brandon Belts head that allowed the run to score. 5-5. In extra innings, a timely steal by Cliff Pennington off Yusimero Petit led to a Campana RBI single. Camapana was in a grueling battle with Petit fouling off tough pitches but then slapping a single to right center. Addison Reed then came in and shut the door on the Giants in the bottom of the 10th.
Arizona 6, San Francisco 5
ARI wins: 2-1
The Giants now stay home as they will take on the Colorado Rockies as they make their first trip to AT&T park. Madison Bumgarner will have the ball in game 1, friday night.
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