Opening Day was not quite what you expected with Tim Lincecum on the mound facing Ian Kennedy, but the excitement of the game was just what the fans had hoped. The Arizona Diamondbacks touched the Giants ace for three first inning runs on two home runs and rallied for two more runs in the sixth inning to
Willie Bloomquist led off the bottom of the first with a single and Chris Young homered to give the D-backs a 2-0 lead. Two outs later, Paul Goldschmidt hit his third career homer off of Lincecum.
The Giants got two runs back in the fifth inning when right fielder Melky Cabrera homered. In the sixth, San Francisco tied the score on a pair of hits, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI groundout by Brandon Crawford.
However, Arizona rallied in the bottom of the sixth and chased Lincecum. Justin Upton doubled, moved to third on a flyout by Miguel Montero. Then Goldschmidt walked, Jason Kubel reached on a Buster Posey error and Ryan Roberts hit a bases-loaded double to score two.
Kennedy got the first two outs of the seventh inning, then allowed a pair of base hits. Joe Paterson came on in relief to retire Aubrey Huff to end the inning.
David Hernandez pitched a perfect eighth inning and J.J. Putz closed things out after allowing a run on a double by Pablo Sandoval, netting his first save of the season.
Lincecum pitched 5.1 innings and allowed five earned runs on six hits. He struck out seven.
Kennedy went 6.2 inning, allowing three runs on nine hits. He struck out three and walked two.