By Ben Leonard
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AP Photo: San Francisco Giant catcher Buster Posey swings for a single off of Miami Marlins pitcher Jarred Cosart in the first inning on Friday night
SAN FRANCISCO — Baseball’s home run king Barry Bonds was at the yard Friday, and it seemed to help the slumping Giants’ hitters — and pitcher — get their mojo back, helping the Giants end a five game losing streak with a 8-3 win over the Miami Marlins. Starter Jeff Samardzija outscored the Marlins by himself, knocking in three runs while going 7.2 innings of dominant one-run ball.

Now the Marlins’ hitting coach, Bonds returned to AT&T Park’s dugout for the first time since he played his final game for the Giants in 2007. As he anticipated before the game, he was given a standing ovation for the ages while exchanging lineup cards, with the crowd chanting “Ba-rry, Ba-rry.” Just like in old times, Bonds tapped his chest, pointed to the sky, and tipped his hat to the crowd of 41,670 by McCovey Cove, repeating that in the middle the third when the crowd asked for a curtain call.

Perhaps it was because Bonds seemed to be the good luck charm for the Giants’ offense — his return corresponded with its resurgence. Coincidence? That’s for you to decide. But there was no denying that three quick runs in the first inning took some pressure off the pressing Giants’ lineup, which went on to put up 14 hits. Marlins’ starter Jarred Cosart struggled to command his fastball in the first inning, and the Giants made him pay, stringing together three hits, including a Brandon Belt RBI single, and two walks to put up that early three spot.

“I don’t think it hurts to get up there and score first, just to let the pitcher relax and do his job and also let the offense relax a little bit and go up there and have good plate appearances,” Belt said. If we go up there and do that, I think we have a good chance to score a lot of runs.”

It helped Samardzija settle in, both at the plate and on the mound, in his debut at AT&T Park. “Those first three runs were great,” Samardzija said. “Being patient at the plate allowed me to be comfortable and nice and relaxed out there.”

Samardzija retired the first eight hitters he faced until Cosart laced a single, and shut down the Marlins, with the exception of outfielder Christian Yelich, who went 3 for 4 with three doubles. He scattered six hits and struck out give while going 2 for 4 with three RBI’s, including a two-RBI double that broke open the game in the sixth.

“He got the delivery straightened, he was in a good rhythm out there,” Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said Friday. “He was fighitng that a little bit in spring training, but that’s why we have spring training. He’s got great stuff, and in the last inning he was still throwing hard, 94, 95 up there…He’s a strong kid, the type of guy that you can ride out there.” Yeah, and at the plate too.

Down 6-1 lead and runners on second and third, Marlins’ fill-in manager Tim Wallach (Don Mattingly was ejected in the fourth) opted to intentionally walk Brandon Crawford to load the bases. Usually a smart move, with a National League pitcher up next. But Samardzija made Wallach pay, turning on an inside fastball and ripping a line drive into left field, plating two runs, becoming  the Giants first pitcher with three RBI’s since Mike Leake did it in 2015. That came after Samardzija had help start a three-run rally in the fifth with an line drive RBI single to right. Not too shabby.

His teammates knew the former standout wide receiver at Notre Dame had it in him, but the lovably self-deprecating “Shark” didn’t think so.

“You get lucky up there every so often as a pitcher,” Samardzija said. “Close your eyes, swing hard, and you might hit it…I consider myself a great five o’clock hitter, but come seven o’clock, that ball is 94, 95, and is a little tougher.”

Belt thought otherwise. “I’ve seen it in BP,” Belt said. “I’ve seen the power, it’s there. He might rival Bumgarner when it comes to power, it was just a matter of getting in the game and putting the ball in play. He did that tonight and it was pretty cool to see him get those three RBI’s.”

As for the pitching side of things, because you know, that’s what he’s paid to do, Samardzija felt satisfied with his debut in front of the home crowd. He walked off the field with two outs in the eighth to a standing ovation, something he relished.

“It feels good,” Samardzija said. “It’s a very educated fan base with high standards, so you want to live up to those standards. You come play in a park like this with the history they have here, you want to prove your worth and prove you belong with this team, and hopefully they saw some things they liked….It was an electric atmosphere and I look forward to doing it again.”

The Giants signed Samardzija to a five year, $90 million contract this offseason with the expectation that his stuff would play up at AT&T Park. It’s early, but so far, that seems to be true.

“I think it plays well anywhere when you have that kind of velocity and command, and four pitches that you can work with,” Bochy said. “This is a nice park to work in, but he has really good stuff. With his stuff, it doesn’t matter what park he pitches in.”

NOTES:

In a flurry of roster moves Friday, the Giants recalled infielder Connor Gillespie from Triple-A Sacramento…Bochy: “He gives us an experienced left-handed bat off the bench, playing a little third and maybe some first”….Mac Williamson was sent back down in a corresponding move…”He just wasn’t getting playing time,” Bochy said. “It was just too tough of a role to try to pinch hit, mostly off closers. Like we talked about this spring, he needs to play every day and get his four at-bats, so we went ahead and made the change”…..Ehire Adrianza was moved to the 60-day disabled list….