Giants 12, Brewers 3
MILWAUKEE -- Denard Span drove five runs, Matt Duffy sent in four and the San Francisco Giants clubbed four home runs, opening the 2016 season with a 12-3 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
San Francisco's offense combined for 15 hits against four Milwaukee pitchers and broke the game wide open in the eighth, scoring five runs on three consecutive home runs -- by Joe Panik, Buster Posey and Hunter Pence.
The Giants' offense helped pick up left-hander Madison Bumgarner (1-0) who wasn't feeling 100 percent after battling the flu for the past few days.
Bumgarner went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits with five walks and six strikeouts. He looked completely out of sorts in the first inning, allowing a leadoff single to right fielder Domingo Santana. Shortstop Jonathan Villar and catcher Jonathan Lucroy sandwiched walks around a Ryan Braun flyout and Milwaukee took a 1-0 when Chris Carter drew Bumgarner's third free pass of the inning.
That brought out a visit from Bochy and Bumgarner escaped further damage, ending the inning on a double play by Aaron Hill.
After Duffy put the Giants in front, Scooter Gennett tied the game at 2-2 with a solo home run to lead off the second.
Span broke the tie with an RBI single in the fourth and the Giants never trailed again.
After a flawless first inning, Brewers right-hander Wily Peralta (0-1) had a rough going in his first Opening Day start.
He retired the Giants in order but gave up two runs in the second, two more in the third and another in the fourth before giving way to the Brewers' bullpen.
Thanks to an error by Hill, only four runs were earned. He gave up six hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts in four innings of work.
NOTES: Brewers RHP Matt Garza was "unlikely" to make his scheduled start Wednesday, manager Craig Counsell said before the game. Garza experienced shoulder stiffness in an exhibition start on Saturday against Double-A Biloxi. Counsell said Garza would be examined by the team's medical staff Monday. ... Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner made the Opening Day start despite battling flu symptoms. Bumgarner made four Cactus League starts for San Francisco, going 0-1 with a 9.56 ERA in 16 innings. ... Monday marked the first Opening Day start of Brewers RHP Wily Peralta's career. He went 2-3 with a 6.30 ERA in six Cactus League starts. ... Seven Milwaukee players were appearing on an Opening Day roster for the first time in their career. ... The season-opening series continues Tuesday with Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson (11-13, 4.11 ERA in 2015) facing Giants RHP Johnny Cueto, who went 11-13 with a 3.44 ERA last season for the Reds and Kansas City.