SAN FRANCISCO -- Chris Owings singled home the winning run and the Arizona Diamondbacks scored twice with two outs in the ninth inning off new San Francisco closer Mark Melancon to beat the Giants 6-5 in a wild season opener Sunday.
Derailed by a dreadful bullpen last year, the Giants started this season the same way - even after trying to fix the problem by bringing in Melancon on a $62 million, four-year contract as a free agent. They wasted a record-breaking performance by pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who homered twice and retired his first 16 batters.
Arizona got a double and three singles after Melancon (0-1) retired the first two batters in the ninth. A.J. Pollock singled in the tying run and Owings dumped a base hit into right field to end it.
Bumgarner became the first pitcher to hit two home runs on opening day.