D-backs fall in 1st road game as Giants capitalize on 4th-inning errors

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants catcher Buster Posey was doing well after being struck in the helmet by a 94 mph fastball in the first inning and forced out of the game, a frightening moment in San Francisco’s 4-1 victory Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in its home opener.

Posey will be re-evaluated Tuesday but, “He’s doing good, he’s doing fine,” manager Bruce Bochy said. Posey is likely to sit out Tuesday’s game.

Taijuan Walker’s 0-1 fastball with two out in the first inning sent the Gold Glove catcher immediately to ground. Athletic trainer Dave Groeschner sprinted toward the plate and Bochy was right behind. Posey got up on his own but exited the game, with Nick Hundley entering to pinch run and stay in the game as catcher.

Bochy said if Posey weren’t a catcher, he might have been OK to stay in the game, but the Giants weren’t taking a chance with the 2012 NL MVP and 2010 NL Rookie of the Year.

“It’s a scary moment, dangerous moment,” Bochy said. “It’s one of the worst sounds you can hear in baseball, the ball hitting the helmet. It’s a scary moment. There’s been a lot of damage to hitters hit in the head.”

Walker (1-1) was booed at the conclusion of the inning, when he came up to bat and at every other opportunity by the AT&T Park sellout crowd of 42,129. Home run king Barry Bonds was among those in attendance.

Matt Moore (1-1) struck out five in eight impressive innings.

The Giants scored three runs in the fourth on a trio of successive plays at the plate. Brandon Crawford doubled, then one out later Joe Panik and Jarrett Parker drew consecutive walks. Walker fielded Moore’s chopper midway up the first-base line and fired wildly to home, allowing Crawford and Panik to score. Catcher Jeff Mathis retrieved the ball and also made an errant toss well past the plate. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt got the ball in nearly the same place where Walker had been, and his throw back home was too late as Parker slid across safely. Two errors were charged.

Crawford added a sacrifice fly in the seventh after Hunter Pence doubled to start the inning.

Yasmany Tomas led off the fifth with his first home run of the season for Arizona.

Moore, beginning his first full season with the club after being acquired from Tampa Bay at the 2016 trade deadline, took the loss after working 5 1/3 innings last Wednesday at Arizona.

He got through a 1-2-3 first on seven pitches and was on a roll. He gave up three hits and didn’t walk a batter before new $62 million closer Mark Melancon finished for his second save in as many days and first at home after blowing a save opening day in Phoenix.

Moore plunked David Peralta on the upper right arm to start the eighth.

SMALL FIRE

A grill in center field caught fire from grease several hours before first pitch — and well before fans were inside — causing some traffic and parking revisions around one left-field entrance, where multiple firetrucks responded.

Famous Cha Cha Bowls, named for Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, were still available despite being near the site of the blaze.

FEENEY TRIBUTE

The Giants honored longtime MLB senior executive Katy Feeney, who died April 1 at age 68. “KATY” was spelled in the out-of-town scoreboard while photos and flowers were in the seat she often occupied during the postseason. Her father, Charles S. Feeney, was a grandson of Charles Stoneham, the New York Giants’ controlling owner from 1919 to 1936, and a nephew of Horace Stoneham, who owned the team from 1936 to 1976 and moved it to San Francisco after the 1957 season.

“Just a beautiful lady,” Bochy said. “She was a tremendous help to me.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: Bench coach Ron Gardenhire is now away from the club with Jerry Narron the acting bench coach. Gardenhire was to be in Minnesota to undergo surgery for prostate cancer later this month. “We’ll miss him,” manager Torey Lovullo said. … RHP Jake Barrett (shoulder inflammation) will throw a rehab inning Tuesday at extended spring training, while LHP Rubby De La Rosa will do the same Wednesday.

Giants: RH reliever Hunter Strickland returned from the paternity list and LHP Steven Okert was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray, who didn’t get a decision against San Francisco on April 6, is 1-1 with a 3.90 ERA with 37 strikeouts in five career starts vs. the Giants.

Giants: After going 2-0 against Arizona last season, RHP Jeff Samardzija tries to avoid dropping to 0-2 already in 2017 vs. the D-backs.