Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

What a season debut for Jeff Samardzija after beginning the season on the disabled list with a pectoral strain.

Samardzija went five innings, allowing just two hits, walking four and striking out four, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 at Angel Stadium Friday night.

Mac Williamson, who was tearing up the Pacific Coast League was recalled earlier in the day after Hunter Pence went on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained thumb made the most of his season debut.

After striking out in his first at-bat, Williamson hit a towering two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning to help the Giants in the opener of their three-game series in a rematch of the 2002 World Series that the Angels came from a 5-0 deficit to win Game Six and won their only World Championship the next evening with a 4-1 victory.

Nick Hundley got the night started, as he hit his first home run of the season in the top of the second inning. Hundley drove in another run in the top of the eighth inning, as he hit a double off the left field wall.

Andrew McCutchen hit his second three-run home run of the season in the fifth inning, as the Giants broke the game wide-open, as they scored six runs in the inning. Austin Jackson also added a run-scoring in the frame.

Todd Heaney was cruising into the top of the fifth inning, despite the Hundley home run in the top of the second inning.

Heaney let the first five batters get to him, as Williamson hit a two-run home run and his night was done, when McCutchen launched that three-run home run.

Shohei Otani picked two of the five Angels hits, including the first hit of the game off of Samardzija in the bottom of the second inning.

Albert Pujols doubled off the left-center field wall for his 2,991sthit, leaving him just nine shy of the magical 3,000 hit club. The double by Pujols was his 623rdof his career, tying him for 11thplace in Major League history with Hank Aaron.

Mike Trout broke up the shutout in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he hit his seventh home run of the season off of Pierce Johnson.

NOTES: Derek Holland will try again for his first win of the season on Saturday night, as he takes the mound for the Giants, while Garrett Richards will make his first ever start against the Giants.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Angels will face each other in Game 2 Saturday night at 6:07 pm PT.