Photo credit: @SFGiants
By Jeremy Kahn
SAN FRANCISCO — After looking fantastic against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the season opener, Ty Blach returned to earth in the San Francisco Giants’ home opener.
Blach lasted 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits, while walking two and striking out two, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Giants 6-4 before a sellout crowd of 40,901 at AT&T Park.
“He made some good pitches,” said Bruce Bochy.
Due to the Opening Day Pomp and Circumstance, the 1:35 scheduled first pitch actually was 11 minutes later at 1:46.
Within minutes of the first pitch thrown by Blach, the Mariners scored four runs on five hits in the first half inning and never looked back.
“Get out there and compete,” said Blach.
The first six batters to face Blach reached base, as Dee Gordon, Jean Segura, Robinson Cano, and Mike Haniger each scored off of Blach.
It could have been much worse, but Andrew McCutchen was able to catch Kyle Seager leaning off of second base and Brandon Crawford tagged him out for the first out of the afternoon.
That first inning began a huge day for Segura, who picked up hits in his first three at-bats. Following hits in his first at-bats of the game, Segura walked against Pierce Johnson in the top of the sixth inning.
Like in Los Angeles, where he hit two home runs in the Giants first two games of the season, Joe Panik continued his assault on a baseball.
Panik gave the Giants their first run since the ninth inning on Friday night, a span of 21 scoreless innings, as he hit his third home run of the season, when he led off the bottom of the fourth inning for the Giants.
“Obviously you want to come away with the win,” said Panik.
Reyes Moronta pitched 0.2 innings, walking two and striking out two, before giving way to Johnson in the top of the sixth inning.
Austin Jackson picked up his first hit in his new home in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he narrowly beat out a Seager throw. Jackson was originally called out; however, after a 69-second review, Jackson was indeed deemed safe by home plate Ted Barrett.
After the Jackson base hit, the Giants reverted back to their futility of the 2017 season, as Panik hit a ground ball to Cano, who threw to Ryon Healy at first base for the second out and then Healy, threw to Segura, who tagged out Jackson for the final out of the inning.
Evan Longoria picked a great time to get his first hit as a member of the Giants, as he hit a two-run home run of Mariners starter Marco Gonzales in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“Couple of things have not gone our way,” said Longoria.
Gonzales ended up going 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking no one and striking out two on his way to his first win of the young season.
Gregor Blanco got the Giants rally started in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he doubled down the left field line. Kelby Tomlinson then singled Blanco to third base, and then Jackson drove in his first run as a member of the Giants, when he hit a sacrifice fly to Gordon in centerfield to score Blanco without a throw.
Panik then picked up his second hit of the game, as he legged out an infield hit that sent Tomlinson to second base, as he was running on the pitch.
After a McCutchen fly out to right field that advanced Tomilnson an additional 90 feet, Buster Posey grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.
NOTES: Prior to the game, the Giants paid their respects to the late San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee, who passed away from a heart attack in December. Former San Francisco Mayors Art Agnos, Frank Jordan, Willie Brown, current State Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, London Breed and Mark Farrell were in attendance. The wife of the late George Moscone, was also in attendance. Anita Lee, the wife of 37 years to Mayor Lee was honored by Giants President and CEO Larry Baer and Giants Manager Bruce Bochy.
In honor of the Giants 60th anniversary of moving to San Francisco, the Giants honored players and managers going back to when they played at Seals Stadium, Candlestick Park and AT&T Park.
Such notables as Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Barry Bonds, Vida Blue, Felipe Alou, Chris Speier, Joe Amalfitano, Dave Dravecky, Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, Jeffrey Leonard, Kevin Mitchell, Robby Thompson, Marvin Benard, Robb Nen, Travis Ishikawa, Brian Johnson, Cody Ross, Dusty Baker and special guest Brian Wilson, who in full uniform, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
From 1958 to the present, over 115 million people have come through the gates at Seals Stadium (1958-1959), Candlestick Park (1960-1999) and Pacific Bell, SBC and AT&T Park (2000-present).
During that time frame, from April 15, 1958 to today. Seals Stadium, in their two years saw 2,694,755, in 40 years at Candlestick Park, 54,134,580 people went through the turnstiles and at AT&T Park from 2000-present, 58,181,967 people have entered the ballpark. That is a total of 115,011,302 that have seen games in the City and County of San Francisco since 1958,
UP NEXT: The Giants and Mariners meet again Wednesday at 4:15 pm PT.
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