Giants 2, Braves 1
Angel Pagan and Michael Morse homered and Tim Lincecum threw six strong innings as visiting San Francisco claimed the opener of a three-game series with Atlanta.
Lincecum (2-1) struck out four and walked three, allowing one run and six hits. Morse went 2-for-4 and was the only player with multiple hits for the Giants, who have won seven of eight.
Atlanta left-hander Mike Minor (0-1) gave up two runs on seven hits over six innings in his first big-league start of the season after missing a month with left shoulder tendinitis. Jason Heyward had three of the eight hits for the Braves, who have lost four straight.
Minor's season debut got off to a rocky start when Pagan launched his second pitch into the left-field seats for his eighth career leadoff homer and his second this season. Atlanta's Freddie Freeman snapped an 0-for-14 skid with his two-out RBI single in the fifth to tie it at 1.
Morse snapped the tie a half-inning later with an opposite-field shot to right for his seventh homer of the year. The Braves left two on in the seventh and threatened in the ninth when B.J. Upton singled with two outs and Freeman drew a walk before Sergio Romo struck out Justin Upton to earn his eighth save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Freeman is 5-for-8 with two outs and runners in scoring position this season -- best in the majors. The rest of the Braves have a total of eight hits in that situation. … Giants RF Hunter Pence went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. … Atlanta and 3B Chris Johnson agreed to a three-year extension worth $23.5 million.