By Morris Phillips

Talk about tight scheduling. One inning after the Dodgers’ flirtation with pitching history ended, the Giants’ Opening Day offensive fireworks display commenced.

Alex Wood extended the Dodgers’ season-opening scoreless pitching streak to 31 innings–one inning short of the major-league record established in 1963–then fell into trouble in the fifth inning. The Giants scored three times, the first significant blow in a 17-hit attack that carried them past the Dodgers, 12-6 in the team’s home opener.

Angel Pagan delivered a two-run single in the sixth that gave the Giants their first lead, 5-4. Then in the eighth, Hunter Pence capped the Giants’ scoring with a grand slam off J.P. Howell. In all, 11 Giants came up with at least one hit, led by Joe Panik and Buster Posey with three each.

“It can look awfully dim, like it did there for a while today, and then turn,” starting pitcher Jake Peavy said of the period where the Giants trailed 4-0. “That’s one thing about this team we always talk about: this team plays 27 outs, then let the chips fall where they may.”

The Dodgers came into the first of 19 games between the longtime rivals both limping and thriving, after sweeping the Padres in San Diego without allowing a run, despite opening the season with 10 players on the disabled list. Their surprising start continued with the appearance of Peavy, who didn’t have his best stuff, allowing the Dodgers 10 hits and four runs before he was lifted after five innings.

In contrast, the Giants opened with a 12-run outburst in Milwaukee, but were far off of that offensive output in their following two games, totaling five runs while splitting the final two games against the Brewers. But Thursday was a reminder that the Giants’ lineup—in full health—could be among the best in the major leagues, with their ability to attack both big and small. Included in the Giants’ hit barrage Thursday were bunt singles by Kelby Tomlinson and Denard Span, along with four extra-base hits including Pence’s slam.

Through four games, five Giants’ regulars—Posey, Panik, Pagan, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford—are all hitting .333 and above to rank among the NL’s top 30 hitters.

Once Peavy departed, and the Giants struck for their initial three runs, Chris Heston made his season debut, pitching one scoreless inning and picking up the win. Dodgers’ starter Wood was chased in the sixth after allowing the first two hitters to reach. Then Yimi Garcia came on, and gave up the two-run single to Pagan, and RBI hits to Panik and Posey.

In all, the Giants delivered eight hits with runners in scoring position, and like they did in the opener, showed the ability to hit deep in counts, one way to surely frustrate opposing pitchers.

“All the way down the line, and even a lot of our pitchers, we can hit,” Pence said. “It makes everyone better. We’ve got a lot of guys who are going to keep competing with you no matter what you’ve got.”

Former Giant Dave Roberts assumed the managerial position for the Dodgers this winter after Don Mattingly was fired. So far, the former player under Giants’ skipper Bruce Bochy has had a comfortable ride, but things get tougher on Friday night when he turns to 26-year old rookie Ross Stripling making his major league debut on the mound.   The Dodgers currently are without injured starting pitchers Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Matt Cain will make the start for the Giants with game time set for 7:15pm.