Category: San Francisco Giants

A’s and Giants commentary: Are players, fans, and employees really safe under Puig human trafficker threat

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by Michael Duca

OAKLAND–I can not honestly say if ball park security or ball park operations at AT&T Park over the past week when the Dodgers and Giants were there for the three game series when Dodger outfielder Yesiel Puig was getting threats from the Los Zetas Mexican cartel how much ball operations knew about the threat and what did park management do in setting up protection for the fans, players, and employees.

The information that I’ve learned from ESPN is a harrowing account and it is a terrifying account and my first question that I asked when I got even an inkling of this story was how can baseball actually allow him to play? You got a situation here where a person is beholden essentially to Los Zetas cartel in Mexico for 20 percent of what he was going to earn but not on this current $42 million contract.

The understanding is that the cartel doesn’t have a claim on his earnings forever, it’s his bonus money that their after and 20 percent of his bonus money which is a little bit more of an open thing. While its certainly still illegal and it’s extortion and a bunch of other things it isn’t as bad as it’s originally made to sound.

You would understand that somebody would have to pay some kind of fee in the situation, the unfortunate thing is that whole market if you will is clearly human trafficking no matter how you slice it. It’s a violation of international law. We always knew that these players coming out of Cuba were stretching the laws in many, many ways.

You had to violate the laws of Cuba to get out, most people didn’t have too much trouble with that as would often times could rationalize breaking the laws of a country we don’t agree with. He had to break the laws of Mexico in order to get there and he had to bend the laws of the United States by taking advantage of the rather strange American immigration policy that Cubans who do come into the country without documents as long as they show that their Cubans and that they arrive on dry land and don’t come out of the ocean can get political asylum.

It’s all very strange but the bottom line is people involved in Puig’s extracton have died under very questionable circumstnaces. The Dodgers have had a full time security detail around Puig since he’s been called up from double AA Chattanooga and it begs the question, how safe are the fans in those arch ways in right field at Dodger Stadium? How safe are the fans in the areas in right field and how safe is the team?

It certainly has shed some new light on his cavalier attitude and towards the game in some circumstances and maybe it might explain why it appears he’s always concentrating on what he’s doing. I’m not sure how many of us could have survived getting this far. What’s critcial is the safety of the fans, the integrity of the game and the safety of Puig himself.

Oakland A’s update: The Houston Astros opened up a series in Oakland, the Astros who are a last place team begs one to say there are last place teams and I suspect that the Astros will end up in last place or they may win 15-20 more games than they did last year.

The Astros are an imroving team, they have the best farm system in baseball and you can’t take anybody for granted but obviously you don’t take a team that’s young and improving for granted. Particularly early in the season, the Astros don’t know any better, they don’t know they’re not good yet, so you have to play Houston straight.

I have the distinct feeling that A’s General Manager Billy Beane and Manager Bob Melvin know how to get the A’s to play everybody, the A’s are just beating up on people this year and I would be surprised if there is any let down by this team at any point this year.

Michael Duca does commentary on the A’s and Giants each week for Sportstalk radio

No offense, no sweep for the Giants in finale with the Dodgers

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By Morris Phillips

Tantalizing enough was the possibility that the Giants could mess with the Dodgers’ collective minds for a third straight day but there it was in the ninth inning Thursday with a run in and a runner in scoring position with the Giants trailing 2-1.

But Dodgers’ closer Kenley Jansen navigated the tense situation getting pinch-hitter Brandon Crawford to fly out to end the game, and allow Los Angeles to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Giants.

 “We had the right guys up there.  That’s all you can ask for.  It didn’t quite happen today.  But it’s good to get the series as we head on to San Diego.”

In one of the more memorable series between the NL West clubs, each of three games were decided by one run and the billionaires from the south were forced to play station-to-station baseball—just to the Giants’ liking—far less preferred than the big splash style the Dodgers are expected to produce.  In the series, Giants’ pitching was outstanding, allowing just five runs in 30 innings of baseball.

But a couple of more timely hits off Giants’ bats could have produced the sweep, but manager Bruce Bochy admitted his team’s not there yet.

“Two of your three bigger bats aren’t swinging well it’s hard to put runs on the board,” Bochy said.  “They are not going to hit what they’re hitting right now.”

Pablo Sandoval had a pair of hits and a big RBI in the win Wednesday, but he was back in the hamper Thursday, going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.  With Hunter Pence struggling as well it may very well force Bochy to move one of the two sluggers down the lineup when play resumes Friday at the Padres’ Petco Park.  One thing was apparent on Thursday: Los Angeles’ Hyun-jin Ryu had all of the Giants’ bats on pause with his excellent command and variety of pitches.  Ryu allowed the Giants eight runs in just two innings on April 4, but he was a completely different pitcher on Thursday.

Madison Bumgarner wasn’t at his best, walking three batters and allowing six hits in less than five innings of work.  Bochy opted to go to the bullpen at that point, and he was rewarded by fine turns from Yusmeiro Petit and Jeremy Affeldt in his first appearance of the season.  The combination of the three was more than adequate, but the Giants’ bats couldn’t respond enough or earlier than the eighth inning when Brian Wilson appeared for the Giants.

The bearded one was greeted by a double from Ehire Adrianza, who had three hits.  The Giants couldn’t score after that, but Adrianza was back in the ninth, singling in Brandon Belt in an at-bat off Jansen.  But that pretty much highlighted the Giants’ offense on a day in which they were absent for the first seven frames.

The Giants open the series in San Diego with Matt Cain looking for his first win of the season after two rough losses.   Former Athletic and Berkeley native Tyson Ross will go for the Padres.

                                                                                                                                     

 

 

Puig’s Los Zetas connection has his family, teammates and himself walking on eggshells

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by Jerry Feitelberg

SAN FRANCISCO–The Los Angeles Dodgers who have just completed a three game series at AT&T Park on Thursday left town but with them the Mexican drug cartel Los Zetas is tracking the movements of Dodger outfielder Yasiel Puig. It was Los Zetas who helped traffic Puig in America after assisting Puig and his family to America from Cuba with the promise of 20 percent of what Puig’s earning would be the gang aims to collect according to ESPN magazine.

That would lead to a huge piece of the pie whereas Puig is earning $42 million on a nine year deal he signed with the Dodgers last season. Puig’s start is much different from last year where he broke in as a sensation and was selected to the All-Star game last season representing the Dodgers.

This year with all the possible violent repercussions of Los Zetas and their possibly tailing Puig, he has hit a lowly .250 with only one homer and five RBIs. Puig in Thursday’s game had only a hit in four at bats he might have had more on his mind than just swinging and trying to make contact with baseballs thrown to him.

The cartel is expecting Puig to pay up and the king pen of the operation is reportedly a Miami businessman who has hired the Los Zetas. It was reported that the cartel had actually either showed up in the cities where the Dodgers were on this last Dodgers road trip starting April 11th in Arizona and this week in San Francisco or they have been tracking his movements carefully.

They had made their presence known according to reports from the Los Angeles Times and it was reported that the Los Angeles Police and Major League Baseball security have been shadowing Puig everywhere he goes on the road and at home in L.A. for his protection.

There has never been so much security around a ball player since former Atlanta Braves and baseball home run king Hank Aaron who was chasing down Babe Ruth’s home record back in 1974. During the home run chase of 74 Aaron was incurring many racist death threats if he was to break Ruth’s record. Aaron was also shadowed by police and security everywhere he went.

ESPN reported that human traffickers have threatened Puig since assisting Puig from Cuba to America back in 2012. Puig 23, according to the L.A. Times and ESPN is an example of “the complexities of illegal human trafficking rings that continue to shuttle Major League prospects off the island.”

The human traffickers who smuggled Puig out held him captive in a hotel in Isla Mujeres which located off the coast of Cancun. At the time the human traffickers were shaking down the Miami businessman and another human trafficking group rescued Puig which was a rival trafficking gang that smuggled Puig to America and the Dodgers had signed Puig shortly thereafter.

Puig’s safety is constantly a concern and according to news reports the cartel wants it’s money and is turning the heat up on Puig. The Miami businessman who wants a cut of Puig’s money is Raul Pacheco who has a record for burglary and fake IDs according to ESPN magazine.

What makes this more frightening is the fact that Puig’s smuggler whose name is Leo was found dead shot 13 times. There also have been civil suits filed against Puig adding up to $12 million and another civil suit filed against Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman for $18 million in a Florida civil court.

Meanwhile it was reported that Dodgers fans are at low risk from any kind of violent threat at Dodger Stadium but Dodger security can not make any gaurantees, however L.A.Times writer Jessie Katz said “the idea that Dodger fans or Dodger teammates would be in any kind of imminent harm I find that as a little bit farfetched.” Dodger Stadium like other professional sports venues are now using metal detectors on all fans, media and front office people before they enter the venue.

Jerry Feitelberg is a talk show host on http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: African American player numbers at it’s lowest 7% on 67th anniversay of Jackie Robinson

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

#42 Honored today at all MLB parks on it’s 67th anniversary

ANAHEIM–All Major League teams today will honor Jackie Robinson’s legacy as the first African-American player in Major League Baseball, by wearing Robinson’s number 42.

Sixty-seven years after Jackie Robinson played on April 15, 1947 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn. Brooklyn Dodgers played the Boston Braves.

Jackie Robinson batted second in the lineup, played first base, and got a hit in three at bats. The attendance at Ebbets Field, 26,623, Dodgers won the game 5-3.

Here below the lineup for the Dodgers on that historic day:

Eddie Stanky 2B

Jackie Robinson 1B

Pete Reiser CF

Dixie Walker RF

Gene Hermansky LF

Bruce Edwards C

Spider Jorgensen 3B

Pee Wee Reese SS

Joe Hatten P

Starting today’s action in Major League Baseball among the 30 teams, there are a total of 67 African-American players, 7.8% of all players, with a high of 18.7% in 1981, according to the Society for Baseball Research(SABR).

Three teams today do not have an African-American player on their roster, Arizona Diamondbacks, St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. The 7.8% percent today is the lowest since 1958.

Major League Baseball is trying to revitalize the game among young African-Americans across the country. With six urban academies, there are 220,000 kids playing in reviving Baseball in Inner cities programs.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Vice President of the Major League Baseball Hispanic Heritage Museum and does News and Commentary each week for Sportstalk

Keys to critical Dodgers-Giants series at AT&T Park

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By Morris Phillips

The Dodgers-Giants rivalry resumes tonight at AT&T Park and nothing says drama more succinctly than stating the Giants won a couple of world titles prompting the Dodgers to spend billions to make sure the Giants’ success ceases and the Dodgers’ reign resumes.
Adding to the major storyline is the fact that both teams have broken out on top in the NL West and no time is better than the present to make a statement that could affect the almost 150 games remaining in 2014.
The Dodgers have won seven of their last 10 games despite operating without Clayton Kershaw, Brian Wilson, Carl Crawford and for most of that stretch, without Yasiel Puig as well. The Dodgers are obnoxiously deep illustrated by the contributions of newly-acquired Dan Haren (2-0) and incumbent speedster Dee Gordon (.400). If the Giants want to think dismissively, they could point to fact that the Dodgers are 5-0 against the lowly D’Backs and 4-4 against everyone else (Tigers, Giants, Padres). If they want to think practically, the Giants would admit the Dodgers are inevitably heating up, winning seven of their first eight road contests.
The Giants have scored more runs than Big Blue with an offensive attack that so far has been impressive. While the Dodgers hold a slight advantage in hits and team batting average, the Giants have hit more home runs and hold the better slugging percentage. Of course, everyone knows the Giants’ pitching has to hold up to beat the Dodgers and so far, their pitching hasn’t been exceptional. The Giants rank in the middle of the NL with a 3.69 team ERA and questions surrounding their starting rotation. San Francisco’s defense hasn’t been great either, responsible so far for eight unearned runs.
The Dodgers without Kershaw has been a mixed bag as well, but L.A. ranks higher than the Giants in ERA, runs allowed and wins. Of course, with the Dodgers, it’s who you face, and the Giants appear to get a break with Paul Malholm, Josh Beckett and Hyun-Jin Ryu scheduled for this series as opposed to Haren and Zach Grienke (combined 5-0).
Looking for a key to deciding a close game in this series? Probably have to look at the threats at the top of the respective orders in Gordon and the Giants’ Angel Pagan (.412). Both players have energized their lineups with their consistent hitting, but can they keep it up over the next three games. Even early in the season, .400 hitters are more likely to cool off than heat up, especially with the emphasis on getting either player out this week.

Michael Duca on A’s and Giants: Pablo will have to bring up numbers to get asking price; Donaldson was deliberate than thoughtless

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by Micahel Duca

SAN FRANCISCO–You have to remember everything that happens in contract negotiations is behind closed doors such is the case of Giants third baseman Pablo Sadoval. Giants general manager Brian Sabean has said he has stopped taking Sandoval’s agent Gustavo Vasquez’ call. Everything that’s said is private and the rest is public posturing on both sides.

Nobody knows what really is going on in the Sadoval negotiations and it’s my understanding that both sides of the conversations had agreed that opening day would be sort of the cut off. I heard Giants VP of Operations Bobby Evans talking about this on opening day on Tuesday basically saying that Sandoval has the opportunity to go out and earn himself a big deal for his performance this year.

The basis of that thought process is the Giants have had five years of Sandoval and they had two years of extraordinary Pablo and three or ordinary Pablo. Evans said if you want five more years of Pablo all we can do is look back at the last five years and say which of these guys are we signing? The great two years or the mediocre three?

It’s because you pay for those things, the Giants would like to see Pablo get through an entire season maintaining the lower weight to see him go out and perform consistantly. If he can go out and approach the game mentally and he has the self discipline to maintain that weight their not going to have a problem paying him.

A’s hitter Josh Donaldson forgot the code of ethics: How many times have I said when you hit a long foul ball which Donaldson did against the Twins and Twins pitcher Glenn Perkins you can kind of watch it but you watch while your moving down the line. You don’t stand in the batters box and admire it before you take off.

I know if you hit it that far your either are going to cadillac around the bases or you don’t have to go anywhere. Nevertheless show some kind of respect for your opponents and that’s not the kind of player that Donaldson is and it kind of surprised me with the whole bat flipping and admiring a long foul ball thing he had going on Thursday.

Then Donaldson gets badly fooled on a breaking pitch and strikes out flips his bat and you might have got away with flipping the bat, you might have got away with admiring the long foul ball but your not going to get away with both admiring the foul ball and flipping the bat.

You put two of them together and now it looks more deliberate than thoughtless, it’s a matter of respect for the game. Donaldson admired a long ball he hit but he also has to show them how big you are when you fail like when Donaldson struck out.

Michael Duca does commentary on the Giants and A’s each week for Sportstalk radio

Warriors update report: A Lacob A’s purchase could be his gift to Oakland for moving Warriors to the City

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by Ken Gimblin and David Zizmor

OAKLAND–If Joe Lacob and the Golden State Warriors were able to purchase the Oakland A’s and move them to the Howard Street Terminal at Jack London Square and build a new stadium at the Jack London Waterfront. The A’s are valued at a baseball modest price of $500 million and it would be Lacob’s tribute to the city of Oakland in saving the A’s from leaving town while he plans to take the Warriors to San Francisco.

Lacob is a work in progress on two fronts as the Warriors are in a political battle to try and defeat Proposition B the San Francisco Waterfront height requirement that limits the size of any development over 40-105 feet on the city’s Embarcadero. The voters will be asked in June if the height limit shall be enforced as the Warriors are looking to build a brand new arena at Piers 30-32 but they have been met with much opposition in the Embarcadero neighborhood. Prop B is most likely to pass if put in front of the voters in the San Francisco June election.

Meanwhile Lacob has approached A’s owner John Fisher about the sale of the A’s and Fisher has made it clear that the A’s are not for sale something that Fisher’s business parter Lew Wolff has indicated. Wolff who has stated several times that Jack London Square is a not a viable site for the A’s and he would like to move the team to downtown San Jose but with the Giants territorial rights in place the A’s are bound in Oakland and Alameda County.

The only question that has remained is how long will Fisher and Wolff hold out at the Oakland Coliseum, the management and players have complained about the sewage, water, rain drain, locker room issues at the park just for starts and the A’s want out of the Coliseum. When asked about building a new stadium at Jack London Square and the Howard Street Terminal Wolf said that Jack London Square is not a viable location for the A’s and the A’s have their hearts set on moving to San Jose.

Meanwhile San Jose Mayor Chuck Reid and the city are suing Major League Baseball for the league to clear the territorial rights of the Giants and allow the A’s to move to San Jose. That the A’s have said they want to move to San Jose and that MLB should not allow the Giants to stand in the way of the move. But none the less the document stating the Giants have territorial rights makes it clear the A’s can not move to San Jose.

This brings Fisher and Wolff right back to the drawing board and at some point will the A’s realize that running around on a hamster’s wheel or another Ground Hog Day at the Coliseum continue? Then they might realize they have to live with the Coliseum (that’s the only way they’ll be able to keep the team) or will they sell it to the highest bidder who will keep the team in Oakland and build a downtown stadium for the team.

The Warriors could be one of two major suitors to buy the A’s, the other interested parties are Dryer’s Ice Cream and Clorox. The A’s are concerned about corporate sponsorship but these suitors seem to believe if they can purchase the A’s they also can take care of corportate sponsorship in Oakland.

In the meantime for Lacob he will have to wait to see when and what Fisher and Wolff will do as they bide their time in the rickety Oakland Coliseum a place they want to vacate as soon as possible. If they continue to spin their wheels they might have to face that day when they must sell the A’s and the Warriors for one would be a fitting customer knowing all that Lacob has done in owning sports franchises.

David Zizmor covers the NBA and Ken Gimblin is covering the arena developments for the Warriors and the Sacramento Kings for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

So far, all-hit, no-pitch Giants have everyone confused

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By Morris Phillips

Coming into the season, the Giants needed a little pop in their bats to support their outstanding pitching.

Now—just a week into a marathon of a season—the same Giants could use just a touch of competent pitching to support their Murderer’s Row-like starting lineup.

“We weren’t swing the bats all that well,” manager Bruce Bochy said.  “But the bell rang, they answered it and we came out swinging.”

Doesn’t seem much like the team they expected to have.  Now, on the eve of Opening Day by the Bay, the remodeled Giants need to show that new is better.  Or is it?

And before you venture an answer to that loaded question, remember this: the 2013 Giants opened 23-15 and then finished 10 games below .500 while looking like the worst team in the National League for long stretches.

Likely, in order to venture an educated guess, you’ll need some facts.  Here they are:

The Giants are 5-2 after their road swing through Phoenix (3-1) and Los Angeles (2-1).  They lead the majors in home runs (11) and are second in the National League in runs scored (40).  They haven’t missed offensive catalyst Marco Scutaro in part due to the return of Angel Pagan (.419) and the signing of Michael Morse (.350).  Also Brandon Belt’s doing his best not to be a question mark, the young slugger ranks second in the NL with four home runs.

Hunter Pence (.138) and Pablo Sandoval (.148) haven’t taken off yet, but all signs are that they will.  Pence led the Giants in most offensive categories a year ago, and Sandoval’s had some quality at-bats thus far without the results to match.

Last year, the Giants finished 13th in the National League with 107 home runs.  This season, based on early returns, they could hit 200 if their power-laden lineup stays intact.  In fact, if the Giants’ pitching catches its groove, you can see how the Giants could lean heavily on offensive patience, with their hitters looking for long balls and big innings to break open close, low-scoring ballgames.

But that’s only if the pitchers pitch.

Thus far, Matt Cain has both Giants’ losses, Madison Bumgarner’s been good, not great, and Timmy Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong have ERA’s of 6.00 and above.  The Giants lean heavily on their starters, and their ability to pitch deep in games.  When they don’t pitch well, the team doesn’t win, at least that’s been their recent history.  Even if the team’s offense continues to show considerable improvement it’s hard to see how the team can win consistently without quality starts.

And thus far, the Giants have just two quality starts, one each from Bumgarner and Tim Hudson.  The prevailing thought was that the pitching would come around if it wasn’t quite up to snuff.  But the Giants opted to stick with the same core of starters, and they’re starting to show some wear.  It’s not clear if you can count on them coming around still.  Cain and Lincecum have lost velocity, and Vogelsong’s two seasons removed from his magical 2012.

Still not sure where this thing’s headed.  Then do this: wait another week and decide.  In 2013, the Giants were awful at home, finishing 42-40.  If this team pitches like its capable, hits like it has so far, and plays defense like they’ve done since a rough opening night in Phoenix, then they’ll be a great home team, capable of winning 60 at AT&T Park.  If that’s the case, they’re ready to take off starting tomorrow.  So watch the next six ballgames against the Diamondbacks and Rockies, and you’ll be a savant for sure.

The Giants have tabbed Tim Hudson for Tuesday’s 1:35pm opener with Arizona’s Trevor Cahill the opposing pitcher in an all-former Athletics matchup.

Michael Duca on the A’s and Giants: Pagan looks like he’ll have banner year; A’s reliever Johnson does he have enough in the tank?

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by Michael Duca

OAKLAND–San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan hit the game winning home run on Thursday night in Arizona in a five run eighth inning and they played a little more baseball after that. The A’s had a walk off home run on Thursday night.

Pagan sparks the Giants line up and he has speed that no one on that roster has. He almost and I’m not saying he has but almost has former Oakland A’s lead off hitter Rickey Henderson’s like characteristics and he’s also approaching former late Giant Bobby Bonds like ability to drive the ball out of the ball park.

He’s an RBI guy on the top of the line up which allows you to treat the bottom of your line up differently and like part of the pack, not something to just get through on the way to the top of the line up. Pagan is also a popular figure in the Giants clubhouse amongst his teammates, media and fans.

Pagan is a well spoken guy and he’s a passionate guy and that passion about baseball comes through when he speaks to the press. In general fans are very passionate and they find it easier to relate to players who get excited about the game.

Former Giants announcer Lon Simmons who is enjoying retirement in Maui playing rounds of golf and not as much as he would like to which makes all the rest of the guys on the green captive that Lon isn’t playing very much. Giant broadcasters Jon Miller, Mike Krukow, and Duane Kuiper all grew up with Lon as I grew up listening to him and Kruk and Kuip grew up having their careers detailed by him.

So if the fans don’t get excited by Lon making an appearance shame on them, they don’t have much sense for their childhood and I know that they dearly, dearly love Lon and are thrilled to see him when he’s able to get to the Bay Area from Hawaii. He doesn’t come as much as we’d like any more and as most people who reach the ripe old age of 90 Lon has to take some pretty serious precautions with himself.

After A’s releiver Jim Johnson lost two saves in the first two A’s games at home against Cleveland it’s easy to say Johnson is not too happy about it. Watching his pitching from gronud level there doesn’t appear to be a lot of velocity and a lot of tremendous life on the pitches.

For Johnson coming out of the bull pen that’s not a good combination and you hope that this is a temporary thing that relievers go through their dead arm phase a little bit later because the possibility certainly exists to have to be considered that the Orioles got his best years because they worked him hard and put him away after that. Johnson had 100 saves in the last two years and a lot of high stress innings on that arm in Baltimore.

Michael Duca does commentary on the A’s and Giants each week for Sportstalk radio

Buster’s ninth-inning blast lifts Giants over Snakes in opener

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Buster Posey cranks a two-run home run off Addison Reed in the ninth to lead the Giants past Arizona on Opening Day. (USATSI)
Buster Posey cranks a two-run home run off Addison Reed in the ninth to lead the Giants past Arizona on Opening Day. (USATSI)

By DANIEL DULLUM

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Both Buster Posey and his manager, Bruce Bochy, are noncommittal about whether or not the San Francisco All-Star catcher will hit for more power this season.

“I think it’s fair to say that Buster had a little bit of a down year last year,” Bochy said. “It wasn’t a bad year, but he sets the bar so high. We’re looking for him to hit with some more power. He’ll hit his home runs, but he’s not a guy we’re looking at to hit a lot of home runs.”

Posey said, “I’m just going to try and do what I can do, stay within myself and help us win as many ballgames as we can, however many that is.

But if Opening Day at Chase Field is any indication, Posey might be on track for a memorable campaign.

Posey’s two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning put the Giants ahead to stay in a wild 9-8 NL West win over Arizona before a sellout crowd of 48,541.

“That was a good win, especially after we got down and our bullpen did a great job,” Posey said. “It was all in all, a good win.”

“For us to come back and win a game like that just shows what can happen when you go hard for nine innings,” Bochy said. “We got some big hits later in the game, then Buster came through for us in a big way.”

Bochy said he would try to get Posey a little more rest throughout the season, including the occasional start at first base.

“Sure, we’ll try to get him out of there for day games after night games, things like that,” Bochy said.

It’s only one game, but Bochy likes the idea of a full season of Brandon Belt, Pablo Sandoval, Posey and Hunter Pence hitting two through five in the Giants’ order.

“I think this is a lineup that’s capable of coming back more than we did last year,” Bochy said. “Our power, with the addition of Michael Morse, is going to help us. They showed tonight what we’re capable of.

“You look at Belt and the way he finished the second half, and the Sandoval is swinging the bat, and we should score runs.”

Giants starter Madison Bumgarner cruised through the first three innings, but suffered through a long fourth when Arizona scored four unearned runs while sending eight batters to the plate. Bumgarner wound up with a no-decision, striking out three, walking two and giving up six hits.

Jean Machi (1-0) threw a scoreless 1 2/3 innings to get the win in relief for San Francisco, while Sergio Romo hung on through a shaky ninth to pick up his first save.

“We struggled early and I hated to take Madison out,” Bochy said. “But we’re three runs down and he’s approaching 80 pitches. We had to do something to get this offense going.”

Posey hit his first home run of the season off Diamondbacks reliever Addison Reed (0-1) with two out, driving in Belt, who singled.

“It was a fastball,” Posey said of the home run pitch. “I’d never faced (Reed) before in spring training or anything. I was just looking for a pitch I could handle.”

Miguel Montero opened the bottom of the ninth with his first home run of the season; a line shot to right that closed the D-Backs’ deficit to 9-8. Chris Owings reached on a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Gerrardo Parra. But Romo struck out pinch-hitter Eric Chavez, and A.J. Pollock popped out to Crawford at short to end the 3-hour, 25-minute game.

Belt led off the San Francisco sixth with his first home run, and the Giants tied the game by sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh. After Joaquin Arias reached on a fielder’s choice, pinch-hitter Ehire Adrianza’s two-out double scored Arias to start the rally and chase Diamondbacks starter Brandon McCarthy.

McCarthy struck out four and walked one, but also gave up six hits and five earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.

“That was a great for a young guy like Adrianza to come through like that,” Bochy said. “I think that at-bat really is what won the game for us.”

Angel Pagan followed with an RBI double off reliever Oliver Perez – scoring Adrianza. Belt singled, then Sandoval, trying to avoid getting hit, accidentally sent a chopper with some wicked English on it past the shortstop Pollock and into shallow center field, scoring Crawford. Posey singled to load the bases, and Pence followed with a game-tying RBI walk.

“I think we want to be a team that keeps grinding, and it was nice to able to do that tonight,” Posey said. “We have that confidence to know that when we’re down, we have the ability to come back.”

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Brandon Crawford singled and scored on a two-out base hit by Angel Pagan. But the roof caved in for Bumgarner and the Giants in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Errors by Belt and Sandoval led to the first two Diamondback runs, allowing Mark Trumbo and Montero, respectively, to reach base. After Chris Owings singled to load the bases, Gerrardo Parra singled in Trumbo and Montero. McCarthy and A.J. Pollock struck out, but Aaron Hill doubled to drive in Owings and Parra, giving the Diamondbacks a 4-1 lead.

“Madison was throwing the ball well,” Bochy said. “There was that one inning where we gave them too many outs and they (the D-Backs) took advantage of that.”

Paul Goldschmidt was 2-for-5 for the D-Backs, extending his hitting streak to 22 games, and Trumbo was 3-for-5 in his Arizona debut. After striking out in his first two at-bats, Belt finished the game 3-for-5 with a home run, two singles and three runs scored. Pagan, Posey and Crawford each had two hits for San Francisco.

Tomorrow’s pitching matchup features Matt Cain for San Francisco against the Diamondbacks’ Wade Miley.

GIANTS JOTTINGS: Prior to the game, the Diamondbacks released C Henry Blanco, 42, from his minor league contract and was added to the team’s major league coaching staff. … On this date 16 years ago, the D-Backs played their inaugural regular season game, a 9-2 loss to Colorado at then-Bank One Ballpark. … This is the fifth consecutive season that the Giants have opened the season on the road, and the 23rd time in their last 30 seasons. … Joe Garagiola Sr., Hall of Fame broadcaster and 2014 Buck O’Neill Award recipient, threw out the first pitch. … Arizona IB Paul Goldschmidt and INF Gerrardo Parra received their 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards before the game. Goldschmidt also received his 2013 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron and Mel Ott awards. Parra also received his 2013 Wilson NL Defensive Player of the Year award. …

MORE FUN STUFF: Bill Arnold reports that LHP Madison Bumgarner is the third-youngest Giants opening day starter since the team moved west from New York in 1958, and the third-youngest left-handed opening day starter in franchise history, going back to 1883. Only Ledell “Cannonball” Titcomb (21 years, 242 days on April 20, 1888 at Washington) and Mark Davis (23 years and 167 days on April 3, 1984 vs. Chicago Cubs) were younger than Bumgarner. … According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Sydney Cricket Ground (opened in 1854) in Australia became the oldest known stadium to host a regular season Major League Baseball game when the Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers played a two-game series there in March. The previous record holder was Union Grounds, which opened in 1862 and was home of the New York Mutuals in 1876.

(TAGS: San Francisco Giants,Arizona Diamondbacks,MLB,Buster Posey)