Pence Slam Tops Giants Comeback Win Over Dodgers In AT&T Opener, 12-6
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hunter Pence hit a grand slam in the eighth, Joe Panik drove in three runs and keyed San Francisco's comeback, and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-6 in their home opener Thursday.
The Dodgers pitchers' 31-inning scoreless streak to start the season ended in the fifth, one inning shy of the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals' record to begin a year.
PHOTOS: San Francisco Giants Home Opener 2016
Chris Heston (1-0) worked the sixth in relief of Jake Peavy for the victory as San Francisco erased a 4-0 deficit to the delight of a sellout crowd announced at 41,940.
Bruce Bochy bested his former outfielder and now-Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in their first matchup.
In the fifth, Los Angeles finally gave up its first runs of 2016 and got to Alex Wood (0-1). Brandon Crawford drew a leadoff walk from Wood, pinch hitter Kelby Tomlinson singled and Denard Span drove in a run on an RBI groundout before Panik's RBI triple. Buster Posey also doubled in a run.
Joc Pederson hit a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw from Sergio Romo in the eighth, then Pence connected off Pedro Baez for his sixth career grand slam and first homer of 2016. Los Angeles' ERA jumped from 0.00 after four innings to 3.09.
The Dodgers challenged a would-be inning-ending double play in the second, questioning whether Panik touched second for the putout. Panik threw to first to retire Wood, who received an RBI groundout on the play after it was overturned on review in 2 minutes, 26 seconds.
Adrian Gonzalez's second double of the day made it 3-0 in the third when left fielder Angel Pagan missed a tough, slicing ball on the warning track. Scott Van Slyke added a run-scoring double in the fifth before the three-time defending division champion Dodgers squandered their lead to this decade's every-other-year champion Giants.
The Giants outhit the Dodgers 17-13, improving to 37-22 in home openers since moving to San Francisco in 1958 and 13-4 in their current ballpark.
RIVALRY
Roberts spent his final two seasons (2007-08) with the Giants and knows this rivalry from both sides.
"It's special," he said. "It's real. These are two amazing franchises. Both teams need one another. They came over to the West Coast together. It's great for baseball."
MOMENT OF SILENCE
Monte Irvin, a Hall of Famer and the first African-American player in franchise history, and Jim Davenport, an original San Francisco Giant and longtime third baseman who later managed the team and worked in the front office, were remembered in a pregame moment of silence. Both died during the offseason.
Irvin's two daughters threw out ceremonial first pitches.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: 2B Howie Kendrick will test his strained left calf with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga with a game as DH, a couple of games at second and one at third. The plan is for him to be activated for Tuesday's home opener against Arizona — leaving Roberts to balance playing time between Kendrick and Chase Utley. ... C Yasmani Grandal (sore right forearm) will join Triple-A Oklahoma City for games in Nashville. He also is scheduled to return Tuesday. ... 3B Justin Turner, back from knee surgery, had the day off with Yasiel Puig hitting in the No. 3 hole and Kike Hernandez starting at third.
Giants: CF Span still felt some congestion after missing Wednesday's series finale in Milwaukee with a fever and flu symptoms. His parents, Stanley and Wanda Wilson, arrived into town from Florida for his home debut. ... Posey is scheduled to get a break Friday night before catching Madison Bumgarner against Clayton Kershaw on Saturday afternoon.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Ross Stripling makes his major league debut after skipping Triple-A altogether. A 2012 fifth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M, he went 3-6 with a 3.66 ERA pitching for Double-A Tulsa and Class-A Great Lakes last year.
"For me it's just kind of telling him to enjoy the moment, go out there and be himself and compete, you're here because you belong here," Roberts said.
Giants: RHP Matt Cain makes his 2016 debut hoping to stay healthy after two seasons shortened by elbow problems.
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