By Morris Phillips

An early three-run deficit and an opponent riding a lengthy run of success at AT&T Park couldn’t derail the Giants on Thursday. 

After trailing 4-1 in the third inning–and before you knew it–chipping away led to adding on, and the Giants had things under control in a 6-4 victory over the Marlins in the opener of a four-game, weekend series.

The Giants have won 16 of 21 and increased their lead in the NL West to four games over the idle Rockies and five games over the Dodgers. And the win halted a surprising streak built by the Marlins, in which they had won 10 of their previous 11 games in San Francisco. 

Matt Cain finally broke through and grabbed his first win of the season, pitching into the eighth inning after a rough beginning. It took seven starts for the longest tenured Giant to get a win in 2014, but in the eyes of manager Bruce Bochy, the drought wasn’t a big deal.  In Bochy’s opinion, Cain had pitched well but simply didn’t have the results to show for it.  Against Miami, two early home runs didn’t deter the right hander, and by the middle innings, Cain was dealing, on his way to retiring 16 of the final 21 batters he faced.

“He didn’t cave in,” Bochy said.  “It wasn’t a very auspicious start.  He finally got settled in.”

Miami’s Nathan Eovaldi came out throwing smoke and making big pitches in big spots to get out of jams, as he stranded a trio of Giants’ base runners in the first two frames.  But all the activity on the bases finally caught up to the 24-year old in the fifth, when he allowed three runs on four hits and couldn’t finish the inning.  Giants’ hitters got a primer in the third, when Michael Morse simply rode Eovaldi’s fastball the opposite way and into the right field arcade.  Morse’s homer brought the Giants within 3-2. 

In the fifth, the hit-it-where-its-pitched philosophy continued as Buster Posey launched a double in front of the 421-foot sign in right to score Angel Pagan.  Morse then delivered a run-scoring single in front of centerfielder Christian Yelich, who was playing deep.  And then again, when Tyler Colvin doubled down the left field line which chased Eovaldi. 

“To the Giants’ credit, they did a great job of putting at-bats together that inning,” Marlins’ infielder Casey McGehee said.

The Giants’ bullpen has been the big league’s stingiest to date in 2014, and that continued Thursday as Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo came on to close the deal, combining to get the last four outs.  Again, Romo did not walk anyone or create any unpleasant drama.  The closer simply got ahead in the count, and finished hitters by expanding the strike zone just enough to induce swings.  In Romo’s first 20 innings pitched this season, he’s walked just three while striking out 20.

The transformation of the Giants’ offensive attack in just one year continued on Thursday as Morse’s home run was the 50^th the team has hit in just 42 games.  Last season, the Giants hit just 44 home runs at AT&T Park, the lowest total of any National League club at home except the Marlins.

On Friday, Yusmeiro Petit will start for the Giants in place of Tim Hudson, who is experiencing discomfort in his hip.  Petit will be opposed by Miami’s Henderson Alvarez.