By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, March 2, 2016

AP photo: San Francisco Giant starter Jeff Samardzija pitched two innings and allowed one run on Wednesday against the Angels

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – In a Cactus League game that provided a little more drama than usual, San Francisco used an RBI double by Christian Arroyo to slip past the visiting Los Angeles Angels Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium.

In the bottom of the sixth, Trevor Brown singled off losing pitcher Cam Bedrosian and later scored on a single by Ryan Lollis.

Grant Green, the former top Oakland prospect in camp as a non-roster invitee, singled to extend the inning and a wild pitch plated Lollis. Green, who spent parts of the last three seasons with the Angels, then scored on Arroyo’s drive to right-center.

Mike Broadway, who celebrates his 29th birthday at the end of the month, picked up the win, striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. George Kontos, the seventh San Francisco pitcher, threw a scoreless ninth and earned the save.

As per normal, each starting pitcher lasted two innings – left-hander Hector Santiago for the Angels and right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who was making his first appearance in a Giants uniform after signing a five-year, $90 million pact as a free agent.

Samardzija faced four hitters in the first inning, but struggled in the second, giving up one earned run while allowing a double to Carlos Reyes (who scored on Rafael Ortega’s bases-loaded sac fly) and walking two.

After his stint, Samardzija told the press corps, “It’s like the first day of school. You’ve been thinking about this moment for about four months now.”

Giants Manager Bruce Bochy admitted that seeing Samardzija throw to catcher Buster Posey was “like unwrapping a Christmas present.”

“It’s a big acquisition that we’re very excited about,” Bochy said. “It was good to see our new guy out there I know Buster wanted to catch him. It was a good day of work for him.”

San Francisco evened the game when Conor Gillaspie led off the Giants’ third with a home run off Angels right-hander Matt Schoemaker.

“I think you guys (the press) were as anxious to see this game as we were,” Bochy said. “When you get here (in Scottsdale), it’s good to see the guys, we get to start playing the games and you get something to write about. It’s always good to get that first one.”

Bochy said he intends to rotate his everyday players through the first few weeks of exhibition play. Thus, there’s a good chance that left fielder Angel Pagan, newly-acquired center fielder Denard Span and third baseman Matt Duffy could be in the Giants lineup for Thursday’s game in Scottsdale against Milwaukee.

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