Giants 9, Dodgers 6
SAN FRANCISCO -- Joe Panik hit a two-run, tiebreaking double in the sixth inning and Johnny Cueto overcame a shaky start to strike out eight in seven innings of work as the San Francisco Giants won for the third time in their four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-6 Sunday afternoon.
Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Angel Pagan hit home runs, increasing San Francisco's season-opening total to 14, as the Giants continued their home-field mastery of the three-time defending National League West champs.
The Giants homered in all seven of their games in the first week of the season, a franchise record for the start of a year.
Panik's hit came after Pagan had doubled and Denard Span singled to open the bottom of the sixth with the score tied at 6-6.
Panik's liner to the base of the fence in center field off Dodgers left-hander J.P. Howell scored both teammates to provide a lead and Cueto and the Giants' bullpen managed to hold until the end.
Hunter Pence's sacrifice fly later in the inning scored Panik to increase the San Francisco lead to 9-6.
Cueto, in his Giants home debut, allowed five runs on five hits in the first inning before settling down. He gave up only five more hits and one run through seven innings before turning the ball over to right-hander Sergio Romo with a three-run lead in the eighth.
Romo, left-hander Josh Osich and closer Santiago Casilla shut out the Dodgers on no hits over the final two innings, with Casilla recording his second save.
Cueto (2-0) had eight strikeouts and one walk in his seven innings. He allowed six runs on 10 hits.
Right-hander Louis Coleman (0-1), who gave up Pagan's inning-opening double in the sixth inning, took the loss.
Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir was staked to a five-run lead before taking the mound, but couldn't hold it.
Making just his second start for Los Angeles, Kazmir gave up two runs in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by Belt and Matt Duffy, then gave up the homers to Posey (solo), Belt (two-run) and Pagan (solo) in the third and fourth innings, allowing 5-0 and 6-5 leads to disappear.
Kazmir, who was seeking his 100th career win, left after four innings with the score tied, having allowed six runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked one.
Trayce Thompson had the big hit of the Dodgers' five-run first, a two-RBI single. Justin Turner and Austin Barnes also had run-scoring hits in the inning, and Adrian Gonzalez had a sacrifice fly.
Corey Seager singled in Chase Utley, who had doubled, in the fourth, temporarily giving the Dodgers a 6-5 lead after the homers by Posey and Belt in the bottom of the third had drawn San Francisco even.
The Giants (5-2), who have come from behind in all five of their wins, out-hit the Dodgers 12-10. Pagan (homer and double), Posey (homer and single), Belt (homer and single), Span (two singles) and Duffy (two singles) had two hits apiece.
Thompson had two hits for the Dodgers (4-3), who had opened the season with three consecutive shutout wins over the San Diego Padres before surrendering a total of 26 runs to the Giants.
The Dodgers have lost 11 of their last 14 games in San Francisco.
NOTES: After having run out of healthy outfielders during Saturday's 10-inning win over the Giants, the Dodgers acquired INF/OF Zach Walters and OF James Ramsey from the Cleveland Indians for cash. Both were sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... In order to make room on the 40-man roster for Walters and Ramsey, the Dodgers moved OF Andre Ethier (broken leg) and RHP Josh Ravin (broken leg) from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. ... Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner, who hit his 12th career home run in Saturday's loss, reminded manager Bruce Bochy he's available to pinch hit on days he's not pitching. Bochy told reporters he's open to the idea and admitted he considered Bumgarner in one such situation earlier this season before deciding to go in a different direction. ... Both teams have Monday off before the Dodgers host their home opener Tuesday against Arizona, while the Giants begin a six-game trip in Colorado. ... The Dodgers and Giants square off again Friday through Sunday in Los Angeles, with staff aces Bumgarner and Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw, who dueled Saturday, slated for a rematch in the opener Friday.