San Francisco Giants starter Johnny Cueto throws to the Colorado Rockies line up on Fri Apr 9, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

With the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day and the return of the fans to Oracle Park, the San Francisco Giants did not disappoint their throng of fans.

Johnny Cueto came within one out of a complete game, as he went 8.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out seven and the Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 3-1 at Oracle Park.

After not being allowed into the ballpark during the Covid-19 shortened season, the Giants played before 7,390 fans in the 22-year old yard for the first time since Bruce Bochys last game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 28, 2019.

Brandon Crawford drove in two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he doubled with the bases loaded to score Darin Ruf and Buster Posey with the only runs that the Giants would need.

Alex Dickerson added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he singled to right field to score Brandon Belt.

The Rockies tried to get back into the game in the top of the ninth inning, as Garrett Hampson hit a sacrifice fly that scored Micah Owings with the lone run for the Rockies on the afternoon.

Cueto was masterful on the afternoon, as he did not allow a hit until there was one out in the top of the fifth inning when Raimel Tapia singled to left field. The Giants were able to get out of the inning, as they turned an inning-ending double play to keep the Rockies off the board.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler came out to the mound following Owings triple and Hampsons sacrifice fly; however, Cueto stayed in the game. After he allowed a single to Rockies shortstop Trevor Story that brought the tying run to the plate, that was the end of the line for Cueto and he was replaced by Jake McGee, who closed out the game for his third save of the season.

Rockies starter Austin Gomber was cruising into the fifth inning with no hits allowed; however, Posey put an end to that with one out, as he singled.

Gomber went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs, on just one hit, walking four and striking out five, as he lost for the second time in as many starts.

NOTES: Bryan Stow threw out the ceremonial first pitch just over 10 years after he was brutally beaten at Dodger Stadium. Stow, who spent nearly nine months in a medically induced coma threw the first pitch to Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken.

Evan Longoria sat out the home opener after feeling side effects from taking the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine on Thursday. Something was seen on the Giants home uniforms for the first time since they moved into Oracle Park, names on the back of their home jerseys.

UP NEXT: Logan Webb takes the mound on Saturday afternoon for the Giants, while Chi Chi Gonzalez will take the mound for the Rockies.