Giants Score 8 Runs Early In Victory Over Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (CBS / AP) -- The ball was dropping everywhere for the Giants through the first two innings. After that, they couldn't get a hit.
They made their early runs hold up, beating Los Angeles 8-4 Friday and spoiling the Dodgers' home opener played nearly two weeks after they began the season in Australia.
Michael Morse keyed a six-run first inning with a two-run single in the Giants' highest-scoring opening inning since they scored six on June 2, 2008, against the Mets.
"We had some breaks and we know it," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, "so you take them."
David Huff (1-0) got the victory, allowing two hits in 1 2-3 innings of relief while striking out three.
After retiring the first two batters, Hyun-Jin Ryu got pummeled for six runs while giving up six hits, including four in a row as the Giants batted around. They finished Ryu with two more runs in the second, extending their lead to 8-0. It was the South Korean's shortest outing as a Dodger.
Ryu and four relievers combined to hold the Giants hitless over the final 7 1-3 innings.
"I don't really feel like he got thumped," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "We didn't help him for sure. Things didn't go his way, but I like the way he handled himself. He could have gotten irritated."
Ryu (1-1) gave up a career-high eight runs -- six earned -- and eight hits while getting six outs. The left-hander walked three and struck out two while making his third start in six games. He was moved up in the rotation after injured ace Clayton Kershaw went on the disabled list for the first time in his career with a strained muscle in his back. Kershaw may be out a month.
"You wish it was one of those games buried on a Tuesday night in August instead of opening day," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said. "It was one of those games where he (Ryu) just couldn't catch a break."
Pablo Sandoval walked, Buster Posey singled and Morse singled them in for a 2-0 lead. Center fielder Matt Kemp bobbled Morse's hit, allowing him to take second on the error, and Brandon Belt singled in another run.
Activated from the disabled list before the game, Kemp wasn't originally in the lineup but was inserted after Yasiel Puig arrived late to the ballpark and was removed from the batting order.
"The first two innings were sloppy defensively," Kemp said. "We didn't do a good job of anything, but we kept fighting. We kept grinding. You're going to have those games when you start out slow."
Puig said after the game through a translator that he had already apologized to his teammates and Mattingly.
"I'm sincerely sorry. It was my fault," he said. "I'll be here early tomorrow."
Pitcher Ryan Vogelsong's bloop single scored Belt and Brandon Hicks after an intentional walk to Joaquin Arias, extending San Francisco's lead to 5-0. Angel Pagan's RBI single tacked on another run.
Hicks had an RBI double and Arias added an RBI single to make it 8-0 in the second.
Bochy successfully challenged a call in the seventh after Hanley Ramirez singled leading off and was called safe in stealing second. Second base umpire Marty Foster's call was overturned under the new video review rule.
"That's a big call. There's nobody out and they got the leadoff hitter on, but it worked out well," Bochy said. "We also had one before today that didn't work out well, so hopefully at the end of the season, you have more that go your way. But I like it. I just take it for granted that you have to use your challenge if you have one."
The Dodgers got back-to-back homers by Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier leading off the fourth to trail 8-2. Kemp doubled in a run in the fifth, his first hit in his season debut after rehabbing left ankle and shoulder injuries.
"It felt good to come back. It's been a rough 1 1/2 years for me," Kemp said.
Vogelsong allowed seven hits and four runs in four-plus innings. He struck out four and walked two.
"I've been throwing the ball exactly the way I wanted to. I just got away from it a little bit," he said. "I'll try to get my stuff cleaned up before the next outing."
Notes: The Dodgers' streak of winning every home opener since 2008 ended at six. They are 28-25 in home openers. ... The Dodgers allowed the most runs in a home opener since 2006, when they lost 11-10 to Atlanta. ... The Dodgers' entire team was introduced for the fifth time this season, including twice in Australia and twice in San Diego, where they opened the North American portion of the schedule. ... Dodgers Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully rode in a baby blue 1965 Mustang convertible to home plate, where he handed rather than tossed the first pitch to Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax while other Dodger greats who had defining career moments announced by Scully ringed the plate. ... Former Dodgers broadcaster Ross Porter, who spent 28 years with the team starting in 1977, served as honorary public address announcer.
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