Marlins Graham Pauley and Owen Caissie celebrate Liam Hicks’ 3-run home run in the 1st inning. (Photo via Jay Choi SF Bay News Lab)

By Ryan Hannagan

San Francisco — The San Francisco Giants took on the Miami Marlins in Game 1 of a three-game series at Oracle Park Friday night. Coming in off a series win over the Dodgers, the Giants looked to carry their momentum from their recent series into Friday night’s game over Miami. The Giants were down 8-0 until they scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning but just couldn’t catch up winding up with the loss 9-4 at Oracle Park.

Right away, the Marlins put starting pitcher Adrian Houser and the Giants to work. Opening up the hitting was leadoff hitter Jakob Marsee, who sent a scorching double over the head of Giants right fielder Jung Hoo Lee. Later on in the inning, Xavier Edwards matched Marsee’s energy by getting an RBI double to bring Marsee home and give the Marlins an early lead. The Marlins weren’t done after the Edwards double, catcher Liam Hicks sent a 2-2 pitch over the left center wall for the home run to move the score to 3-0 in the opening inning. 

In an attempt to respond in the bottom half of the first, the Giants threatened with Luiz Arraez on third after a bloop single from Matt Chapman moved him over. With Chapman on first and Arraez on third and one out, Rafael Devers grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Houser back out for the second looked for better fortune but was met again by the hot bats of the Marlins. A leadoff double from Owen Caissie and an RBI single from Graham Pauley expanded the Marlin lead to 4-0.

The Giants offense stayed silent in the second, allowing the slugging Marlins’ bats back out onto the field. In the top of the third, Miami added another run to their early lead after Hicks brought home Kyle Stowers on a sacrifice fly, moving the score to 5-0.

Another scoreless inning from the Giants allowed the Marlins to get back out for more offense in the top of the 4th. With the score already 5-0, the Marlins weren’t done yet as a three run home run from Connor Norby put the game further out of reach. By now, boos began to rain down from the fans at Oracle park. After the Marlins half of the fourth, the score now was 8-0.

A three up, three down Giants fourth moved the game to the fifth where the Giants would call in relief pitcher JT Brubaker. For the first time all night, the Marlins’ bats were shut down as Brubaker set them down 1-2-3. 

Motivated by the 1-2-3 top half, the Giants bats woke up. It started with a Heliot Ramos double down the third base line. Bringing home Ramos was Tyler Gilbert with a single, 8-1 was the score. Following Gilbert’s single, Eric Haase drove in Gilbert with an RBI double in his Oracle Park debut. 8-2. Bringing home Haas was Arraez who sent a single to left. The score had moved to a closer 8-3 by the end of the 5th.

The Marlins responded right back in the top of the sixth after Otto Lopez drove in Stowers who had doubled prior in the inning. 9-3. For the Marlins, that would be the lone run they scored that inning, after their offense showing no sign of slowing down.

The 6th and 7th innings remained quiet for both sides. A few pitching changes, yet no runs. 

The top of the eighth went down without any offense for the Marlins, but the Giants in the bottom half added a claw-back run from Jung Hoo Lee, a no doubt solo shot to right field. The Marlin lead was now 9-4.

Lee’s home run would be the final run score in a game with a combined 27 hits in a 9-4 final. The Giants couldn’t comeback after the smoking hot start from Miami. Houser, who has struggled early this season, took the loss after allowing eight earned runs in four innings of action. His ERA now sits at 7.36 with a win-loss record of 0-3. The Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara took home the win Friday night after going six innings with three earned runs. His ERA now sits at 3.05 with a win-loss record of 3-2.

The Giants and Marlins face-off again Saturday afternoon, first pitch 1:05 PM. Starting pitchers for Miami RHP Eury Perez (2-1 ERA 4.15) for San Francisco LHP Robbie Ray (2-3 ERA 2.86)