Giants get rematch with Diamondbacks in home opener
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants hope a change of scenery produces a change in fortune Monday when they host their home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Giants began the campaign on April 2 at Arizona with a powerful display by ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner. His two home runs and 11-strikeout pitching delivered San Francisco a late lead in the curtain-raiser.
Unfortunately for the Giants, things pretty much went downhill from there. New closer Mark Melancon blew the lead in the ninth inning of a 6-5 loss, and the Giants went onto lose three of four to the Diamondbacks before dropping two of three to the San Diego Padres.
So the Giants find themselves at the bottom of the National League West as they prepare for a rematch with the Diamondbacks at AT&T Park.
"Today was about getting that win at all costs," Melancon said Sunday after the Giants' 5-3 win in San Diego that snapped a four-game losing streak. "I think we can build off today."
Left-hander Matt Moore, the club's No. 3 starter, will get the ball in the home opener. He got roughed up in his first start Wednesday in Arizona, allowing eight hits -- including five doubles -- and six runs (only three of which were earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He took the loss.
All eight Diamondbacks position players reached base safely in the 8-6 win.
Arizona right-hander Taijuan Walker benefitted from the support to win on a day when he wasn't particularly sharp, either. He allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings.
Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was the most painful thorn in Walker's side, smacking a triple and a home run.
The Giants hope to build upon any momentum created by the victory in the series finale at San Diego. Things returned to the form they sought, with Buster Posey and Hunter Pence belting home runs, Johnny Cueto pitching seven strong innings and Melancon notching his first save as a Giant.
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, were continuing their strong start in a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians that completed a three-game sweep.
Arizona sits atop the NL West on the strength of a 6-1 start that equals the best in franchise history.
"That's what we wanted ... to go out and get off to a good start and get things rolling in the right direction," Diamondbacks second baseman Brandon Drury said after contributing a .476 average to the club's hot start. "We've got a very special group here."
After opening with a seven-game homestand, the Diamondbacks play their next 10 on the road, all against NL West competition.
What the rest of the West will see is baseball's most potent hitting attack in the first week of the season. Even after the Diamondbacks were limited to a rather modest three runs Sunday in their win over the Indians, Arizona begins Week 2 leading all of baseball in hits, runs and batting average.
Twenty-seven of the team's 48 runs came in the opening series against the Giants, when the Diamondbacks saw San Francisco's top four pitchers. Arizona will miss Bumgarner and Cueto this time around.
