Bay Area Baseball

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ryan Vogelsong wasn't too discouraged about his outing today in the Giants' 6-3 loss to the Cardinals. He gave up nine hits, but all were singles. Three of them didn't leave the infield. Vogelsong said he thought the full-count pitch that Carlos Beltran dumped into shallow right for an RBI single in the first broke Beltran's bat. And if Allen Craig's grounder in the fifth isn't just out of Pablo Sandoval's diving reach, he's out of that inning before Beltran delivers a big two-run single.

"Just didn't make enough pitches is what it comes down to," Vogelsong said. "Got into a situation there in the fifth where I just really needed to make one more pitch. It felt like the pitches weren't all that bad, but the results weren't all that good."

Manager Bruce Bochy agreed that Vogelsong caught a tough break with Craig's single. Brandon Crawford might have had a play on the ball -- though it was hit slowly -- but it's Sandoval's ball if he can get to it.

SAN FRANCISCO - Buster Posey didn't really have a role in Friday's flag-raising ceremonies: While they were happening, he was warming up starting pitcher Barry Zito. Today, though, the pre-game festivities will be all about Posey, who will be presented with his 2012 N.L. Most Valuable Player award in a ceremony scheduled to include past Giants MVP winners.

"Special day for Buster," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's a special player. ... I've been fortunate to have been doing this for a while and managed some great players. But he's as good as I've had, and I think we're all going to enjoy watching this ceremony."

Meanwhile, fans are filing into the park carrying their Buster Posey bobblehead dolls. Posey (pictured) is the seventh Giant to win the MVP Award. The Giants have announced past recipients Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Jeff Kent and Kevin Mitchell will take part in the ceremony. Posey was surprised to learn of that yesterday.

"That's really cool," he said.

Posey is catching Ryan Vogelsong today. He has started four of the Giants' five games at catcher and the other at first base when Brandon Belt was too sick to play. Posey caught in 114 games last year coming off his ankle injury, and Bochy said today the plan is still to keep Posey around that number this year, though that could change.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig entered Friday's game with a career line of 4-for-10 against Barry Zito with three home runs. Two of those home runs came in one game last Aug. 7. They remain the only two runs Zito has allowed in his last three starts against St. Louis.

Zito, of course, threw 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLCS last year and, on Friday, tossed seven shutout innings as the Giants won their AT&T Park opener over St. Louis, 1-0. Craig had two singles. The rest of the Cardinals hitters totaled one hit -- Jon Jay's single to lead off the game -- and three walks.

Afterward, Zito wouldn't claim any particular effectiveness against St. Louis. "I would never say I have anyone's number," he said. "This game's too crazy and too volatile to ever get up on my haunches like that."

But Zito did seem to pick up right where he left off in the playoffs last year, mixing his mid-80s fastball with his cutter and variety of soft stuff to create weak contact from the Cardinals' hitters. He struck out Carlos Beltran in the third inning with this five-pitch sequence: 75 mph changeup, 80 mph cutter, 76 mph changeup, 71 mph curveball, 84 mph fastball. Beltran swung through the last pitch.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A quick note on the historic start to this season by the Giants' starting rotation -- with Barry Zito's seven shutout innings in the Giants' 1-0 win over the Cardinals in their home opener Friday, the rotation has now thrown 26 innings in its first four games without allowing an earned run. (The Dodgers scored two unearned runs against Tim Lincecum in the finale of that series Wednesday).

The Giants are only the second team since 1916 to have their starters not allow an earned run in the first four games of the season, according to the team's post-game notes. Can you name the other?

By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com

SAN FRANCISCO - Giants manager Bruce Bochy said it would be only natural if Barry Zito made his first start Friday on a bit of an emotional high - what with it also being the team's home opener - and he hoped the left-hander would "keep his concentration out there."

After Jon Jay's leadoff single for St. Louis, Zito allowed just two more hits over seven innings as the Giants beat the Cardinals 1-0 in front of an announced crowd of 41,581 at AT&T Park.

Zito didn't seem bothered much before or during the game.

During an extended ceremony in which the Giants raised their 2012 World Series championship flag, Zito seemed oblivious while playing long toss and warming up in the bullpen.

Zito threw his first three pitches for balls, allowed a leadoff single and then snapped right back into the 2012 form that made him a major reason the Giants had a banner to raise Friday afternoon.

Zito threw 102 pitches and left the mound after the seventh to a standing ovation and chants of "Bar-ry! "Bar-ry!" He allowed three singles and three walks and did not allow a runner to reach second base until there were two outs in the seventh.

The Giants' starting rotation has not allowed an earned run yet this season, a span of 26 innings. Dating back to last season, it was the 15th consecutive game the Giants won in which Zito started.

That streak, of course, included Zito's memorable start in Game 5 of the NLCS in St. Louis. With the Giants one loss from elimination, Zito blanked the Cardinals over 7 2 / 3 innings to send the series back to San Francisco.

On Friday, Zito kept the Cardinals in check with his mid-80s fastball by mixing in cutters and his signature curveball and struck out four. Jeremy Affeldt threw a scoreless eighth inning and Sergio Romo struck out Allen Craig looking to end the game.

It was the second shutout for the Giants in four games this season.

Despite the win, the Giants' continue to struggle to hit with runners in scoring position. They loaded the bases in both the third and fourth innings but scored their lone run in the fourth when Angel Pagan drew a bases-loaded walk with one out.

Marco Scutaro (1 for 15 this season) then struck out and Pablo Sandoval grounded out to end the threat. The Giants also put a runner on second in the sixth and seventh innings and failed to drive him in.

Call The Bee's Matt Kawahara, (916) 321-1015.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy predicted there might be some "goosebumps" for his team during today's pre-game ceremonies at AT&T Park, which included the raising of the Giants' 2012 World Series championship banner.

"It's so special seeing the flag go up and, again, realize you are the world champions," Bochy said.

Turned out the manager had a good view from center field as six of his players raised the orange-and-black flag prior to the Giants' home opener against the Cardinals. Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence, Sergio Romo and Ryan Vogelsong all helped carry the banner up the center-field bleachers and to the flagpole in right-center.

The roughly 45-minute festivities began with introductions of both teams. For St. Louis, assistant hitting coach and former Giants catcher Bengie Molina received a loud round of applause from the AT&T Park crowd. Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday, who took out Marco Scutaro with a hard slide on this field in last year's NLCS, were roundly booed.

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was raining last time Mike Matheny stood in the visiting dugout at AT&T Park. Marco Scutaro looked up into that rain and caught Matt Holliday's pop-up for the final out of the NLCS, and the St. Louis Cardinals watched the Giants celebrate a pennant from which Matheny's club had been one win away.

Matheny (left) and the Cardinals are back in San Francisco for the opening series at AT&T, and there will be reminders of that series everywhere this week. Today the Giants raise their World Series championship flag. Sunday, they'll get their rings. This morning, Matheny was asked if it stings a little to be on hand for the pomp.

"Just coming back here is a good reminder of how things ended for us," Matheny said. "I think everyone has a great deal of respect for the Giants organization and the team last year. But we also respect the fact that we felt we could've put a better finish on it than we did. So it's certainly a good reminder of what has happened, and a good challenge for what's ahead."

LOS ANGELES -- The Giants arrived at Dodger Stadium this week having sat through a winter's worth of outside talk about their standing pat vs. the Dodgers' free spending, the comparative qualities of their pitching staffs, the revitalization of one of baseball's oldest rivalries. They head home with a record of 2-1, after Tim Lincecum avoided the pitfalls of a strange, shaky start Wednesday night and several members of the Giants' bullpen delivered clutch outings in a 5-3 win.

"It is really satisfying for us," Lincecum said of taking the opening series in L.A. "We wanted to come in here and make a statement.

"Coming in the first series after winning the World Series, a lot of guys were looking forward to this series. I know I was personally. We took it to heart and left it out there on the field."

Update 6:25 p.m.: Giants manager Bruce Bochy said the plan was for Buster Posey to catch Tim Lincecum tonight, but with Brandon Belt still not fully recovered from his stomach virus, he decided to start Posey at first base and get Hector Sanchez his first start of the season behind the plate.

Bochy said the last reports of Sanchez's games in minor-league camp -- Sanchez was battling a shoulder issue for the latter part of spring and stayed behind for recovery when the Giants played their exhibition games against Oakland in the Bay Area -- were that Sanchez was "throwing well, swinging the bat, catching, blocking. So he's good to go."

Not so much for Belt, who said he's feeling a little better and no longer nauseous but still not back to normal. Sounds like it was a pretty unpleasant bug that he caught. Bochy said he wanted to rest Belt and make sure he's back to normal for Friday's home opener.

Also, briefly, Bochy said he can't really call Pablo Sandoval (elbow) day-to-day anymore after watching Sandoval play the first two games of the series. Sandoval had two hits off Clayton Kershaw on opening day and made a couple nice defensive plays last night to his backhand side, throwing across the diamond. Bochy said the Giants will still monitor Sandoval's workload early in the season, "but I think he's past that."

LOS ANGELES -- No pressure on Tim Lincecum tonight, but here we are in the third game of the season and he could still become the first Giants starting pitcher to allow a run in 2013. Matt Cain threw six shutout innings on opening day and Madison Bumgarner blanked the Dodgers for eight innings last night, marking just the third time since 1958 that Giants starters have thrown at least six shutout innings in back-to-back games to start the season.

Lincecum was part of the last one in 2010, when he and Barry Zito turned in a pair of scoreless outings against the Houston Astros. (The other was John Burkett and Bill Swift in 1994 against the Pirates). Going back to 1921, according to STATS LLC, the Giants have never had this happen three games in a row.

Here's the lineup the Giants will run out behind Lincecum. After saying earlier this week (and repeating last night) that Buster Posey would catch all three games of this series -- including Lincecum's start -- Bruce Bochy has Posey playing first base. It could be that Brandon Belt is still too sick to play -- we'll ask. Gregor Blanco, meanwhile, gets his first start of the season in left field and Hector Sanchez will catch Lincecum.

CF Pagan
2B Scutaro
3B Sandoval
1B Posey
RF Pence
C Sanchez
LF Blanco
SS Crawford
P Lincecum

And here's what Lincecum will be facing from the Dodgers:

LOS ANGELES -- Even after his mini-renaissance last October as a lights-out reliever, a key part of the Giants' march to a World Series title, manager Bruce Bochy said there was no question of whether Tim Lincecum would rejoin the starting rotation in 2013. It was such a foregone conclusion that the topic wasn't even broached before the Giants reconvened in Arizona this spring.

"There was never any discussion about making a change," Bochy said Tuesday. "He's a starter for us right now, and that's how we look at it."

"I think," Lincecum said, "it was just more known than anything."

In that case, Lincecum has had ample time to anticipate tonight's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, his first start since last Oct. 18 in Game 4 of the NLCS. Like Lincecum's 2012 season, that outing was tumultuous. He departed in the fifth inning of an 8-3 loss, and pitched again in the playoffs only in relief.

LOS ANGELES -- Madison Bumgarner said it was "pretty weird" waiting in the on-deck circle while the Dodgers made a pitching change ahead of his spot in the lineup Tuesday night. Out went lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, in came right-hander Ronald Belisario, and up went Bumgarner to take his at-bat with runners on second and third in a 1-0 game.

"No," manager Bruce Bochy said with a scoff when asked if he considered pinch-hitting for his starter. "The way he was throwing the ball there wasn't one thought. I don't take a starter out that's given up one hit and is throwing the ball the way he is in that situation.

"Plus he's a guy that can handle the bat a little bit. He got a hit earlier and I was hoping he could find a way to put the ball in play, and he did."

LOS ANGELES -- Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is being held out of the lineup tonight with a virus. Belt, who has been battling a bug for the past few days, was told to take the later bus to Dodger Stadium and got treatment from the Giants' staff when he arrived at the stadium this afternoon.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Belt would likely be available to pinch-hit tonight if needed. That could change depending on how Belt, who arrived at the stadium looking pretty drained, feels at game time. Belt was under the weather Monday as well when he went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts in the Giants' opening day loss.

"It's a shame, really," Bochy said. "He's coming off a great spring and starts the season sick. He was really not feeling well yesterday. Looking back I probably should've given him the day yesterday. He's been washed out for a couple days now."

LOS ANGELES -- The Giants' lineup has one change from yesterday -- Joaquin Arias will start at first base instead of Brandon Belt. The Dodgers are throwing a lefty in Hyun-Jin Ryu (the rookie from South Korea, who will make his major-league debut). But the San Jose Mercury News is reporting Belt was sick yesterday as well.

Otherwise the lineup will look familiar. Pablo Sandoval obviously came away from the game OK, as he's back in at third base.

CF Pagan
2B Scutaro
3B Sandoval
C Posey
RF Pence
1B Arias
LF Torres
SS Crawford
P Bumgarner

LOS ANGELES -- George Kontos said he couldn't tell right away if the ball left Clayton Kershaw's bat with enough on it to clear the fence in the deepest part of Dodger Stadium. When it disappeared over the center-field wall, though, the Giants' reliever said he wasn't altogether surprised.

"It was a two-seamer that flattened out and he just put a good swing on it," Kontos said. "He's a big, strong guy. So you make a mistake, he's going to put a good swing on it."

Kershaw's first career home run broke a scoreless tie and proved to be all the support he needed on opening day at Dodger Stadium. The left-hander again played Giants nemesis by throwing a complete-game shutout in a 4-0 win, lowering his career ERA against San Francisco to 1.28 -- best by any pitcher with at least 50 innings against the Giants.

By Matt Kawahara
mkawahara@sacbee.com

LOS ANGELES -- The score one day into the 2013 season: Clayton Kershaw 1, San Francisco Giants 0.

Kershaw, the Dodgers' ace and Giants nemesis, confounded the defending champions on the mound with a complete-game shutout in the Dodgers' 4-0 opening day win and broke open a scoreless tie in the eighth inning with his first career home run.

Leading off the eighth, Kershaw hit the first pitch from reliever George Kontos -- a 92 mph fastball -- to straightaway center field. Angel Pagan gave chase briefly before turning and watching the ball sail over the fence as the crowd at Dodger Stadium erupted.

The River Cats announced their opening day roster today and it's a loaded one.

The club starts out carrying A's first-round draft picks from every year from 2007-11. Those, in chronological order, are right-hander James Simmons, infielder Jemile Weeks, infielder Grant Green, outfielder Michael Choice and right-hander Sonny Gray.

Choice was a non-roster invitee to the A's big-league camp in spring training and had a torrid start with the bat. He finished 15-for-48 with a homer and nine RBIs before being sent down.

LOS ANGELES -- Pablo Sandoval starts today after taking swings in the cage and throwing at AT&T Park yesterday with no problems. The Giants will continue to monitor him for the next several days, but manager Bruce Bochy said Sandoval "wasn't hesitant throwing the ball or swinging a bat, so he's a go."

Throwing hasn't been a problem for Sandoval with his right elbow. It's been more swinging a bat -- particularly from the left side several days ago -- but Bochy said Sandoval "felt fine" yesterday. The Giants are glad to have Sandoval in the lineup -- he has six career RBIs against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, while the rest of the current Giants combined have two (one each to Buster Posey and Hunter Pence).

(Before the game, TVs in the visiting clubhouse were tuned to the MLB Network, which spent a couple minutes showing seemingly every at-bat Pence has ever had against Kershaw. This was not exactly a highlight reel for Pence, who has one hit in 23 career at-bats against the Dodgers' lefty. Pence wasn't at his locker while this was going on.)

* Andres Torres gets the start in left field over Gregor Blanco against lefty Clayton Kershaw as part of the platoon the Giants will use to start the season. That means Torres will likely start tomorrow as well against another Dodgers left-hander, Hyun-Jin Ryu, with Blanco getting his first start Wednesday against right-hander Josh Beckett.

LOS ANGELES -- Pablo Sandoval is a go for the Giants' opening game today against the Dodgers. Sandoval is in the lineup batting third and playing third base, meaning his right elbow is feeling up to playing. It might help that the Giants are facing a lefty in Clayton Kershaw, which means Sandoval will be batting right-handed -- the side that's been less affected by the elbow pain.

That's welcome news for the Giants. Sandoval is 8-for-29 in his career against Kershaw with six RBIs. No other current Giant has more than six career hits against Kershaw, though Marco Scutaro is 5-for-10 in his career.

Here's the lineup the Giants will run out against Kershaw. Happy opening day:

Pagan CF
Scutaro 2B
Sandoval 3B
Posey C
Pence RF
Belt 1B
Torres LF
Crawford SS
Cain P

And the Dodgers
Crawford LF
M. Ellis 2B
Kemp CF
Gonzalez 1B
Ethier RF
Cruz 3B
A.J. Ellis C
Sellers SS
Kershaw P

-- Matt Kawahara

OAKLAND -- The Giants announced their opening day roster this evening, opting to proceed with three catchers rather than five outfielders and including third baseman Pablo Sandoval as an active member.

In finalizing the club, the Giants purchased the contract of catcher Guillermo Quiroz and reassigned outfielder Cole Gillespie to minor-league camp. Gillespie will report to Triple-A Fresno.

Sandoval, who has been nursing a sore right elbow, and catcher Hector Sanchez (shoulder) are both on the active roster.

OAKLAND -- The A's announced their opening day roster this afternoon shortly after beating the Giants, 4-3, in each team's final exhibition game. Shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day disabled list, Eric Sogard made the club as a utility infielder (not surprising, given his .444 spring average), and Evan Scribner claimed the final spot in the bullpen over several other candidates.

First baseman Nate Freiman, whom the A's claimed off waivers from the Astros on March 23, also made the roster and will begin as a right-handed complement to Brandon Moss. Jed Lowrie will likely start out as the A's shortstop, with Sogard and Scott Sizemore sharing time at second base.

Nakajima said he is disappointed to be starting the season on the DL but understands the A's want to make sure he recovers fully from a left hamstring strain. Manager Bob Melvin said when Nakajima is healthy he'll likely head to Triple-A Sacramento for a rehab assignment, which Nakajima said he would welcome.