So much for perfection

At least the sausage race was entertaining. That Chorizo; what an athlete.

San Francisco suffered its first loss of the MLB season as the Giants battled a fizzling offense and a tight strike zone in a 4-3 loss Wednesday at Milwaukee. The Giants managed just six hits and went 1-for-8 in the all-important RISP category, but it was shakiness on the hill that finally undid the Orange and Black.

Five Giants hurlers would allow nine hits, but it was the seven walks (Seven walks? SEVEN WALKS) against a tight zone that spelled eventual doom.

Jeff Samardzija, making his first start as a Giant, found himself on the low end of what has, so far, been an up-and-down profile. Where Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto has settled in after slow starts in the series’ first two games, Samardzija never really found his groove. The result was three earned runs and a no-decision in a game the bullpen finally surrendered.

Samardzija: It's a groove thing, just not today. (Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)

It started out in promising fashion. Buster Posey, who was expected to rest for the home opener, slapped into a fielder’s choice to plate Angel Pagan, who was back in his familiar lead-off spot and had opened the game with a double.

Samardzija gave it right back, surrendering a four-pitch walk and two singles to open the game. With runners at the corners, a comebacker and strikeout limited the damage. It was the third time in three games a Giants starter had issues early, not an uncommon occurrence in the opening days. Perhaps the schedule maker did the Giants a favor, letting both Samardzija and Johnny Cueto make their Giants debuts away from the AT&T Park.

Better to work out the kinks on the road, we assume.

Responding quickly is becoming a habit. Matt Duffy opened the second with a long home run off Trevor Jungmann, who was pressed into service when Matt Garza was placed on the DL. Duffy’s second shot of the season put the G-Men were back on top – for the moment as Samardzija continued to struggle.

Milwaukee hurler Taylor Jungmann, batting eighth, singled with one out, Jonathan Villar walked, and Domingo Santana tied the game with a base hit. A strikeout and fly ball ended the threat and left the score tied at 2 after 2, but the Brewers weren’t done with Samardzija. Chris Carter, he of the chicken-or-feathers swing, launched Samardzija’s one-out offering in the third beyond the right-center wall, and Milwaukee was back on top 3-2.

Duffy goes yard, then does funny things with his hands. (Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)

Samardzija put up his first zero in the fourth but didn’t help himself in the top of the next inning. Brandon Crawford walked but Samardzija’s woeful attempt at a bunt resulted in a double play that killed the would-be rally and left the Giants down a run at the game’s midway point.

That marked the end for Jungmann, who surrendered just three hits and made just 80 pitches. He faced the minimum after Duff-man’s blast, with the only blemishes (the walk to Crawford and a similar freebie for Belt) erased on a double play and an unsuccessful steal attempt. Brewers fans might have wished he’d stayed in.

Pagan greeted Cris Capuano with a triple down the right-field line. Milwaukee was conceding the run on Joe Panik’s grounder to first, but Pagan inexplicably held his ground. Capuano was lifted in favor of Blane Boyer. Posey promptly got Pagan off the hook, lofting a sac fly to knot the game at 3-3.

Samardzija was finally done after 5 1/3, leaving the game after surrendering back-to-back singles. He’d allowed eight hits and three walks, striking out six over 98 pitches and holding responsibility for the men on base. George Kontos, a year ago one of the best at shutting down inherited runners, prompted some nail-chewing when he missed on his first four offerings to fill the bags, but a double play grounder to Crawford silenced the crowd.

Ah, those coronary-inducing walks. Javy Lopez issued one to lead off the seventh. Cory Gearrin subbed, surrendered a single to his first foe, then crossed up Posey and flung one to the backstop that put runners at second and third with nobody out. Sneering like a cartoon villain, Gearrin whiffed Jonathan Lucroy for out number one, but Carter’s sac fly plated the game winner.

The Giants had one more chance thanks to a Milwaukee miscue. Panik walked to open the eighth and Posey grounded one down the line at first. Carter gloved it, stepped on the bag, then fired to second. Scooter Gennett, unaware the force was off, returned the throw to leave Panik in scoring position. But the Giants were unable to cash in with Pence and Belt following with deep fly ball outs.

About those walks. It seemed that were the strike zone had been a well, Giants hurlers would have died of thirst. At times you’d have thought they couldn’t find it with GPS. Four of the freebies led off an inning, four came on five pitches or less pitches, and two of those gifts scored.

Still, the goal is always to break even on the road and the Giants jet home with a 2-1 mark. They’ll christen AT&T Park in style on Thursday afternoon. The Hated Dodgers are in town, and booing is encouraged.

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