D-backs rally after Bumgarner's huge game

PHOENIX -- The D-backs spoiled what was a historic day for Madison Bumgarner by rallying for a pair of runs in the ninth off new Giants closer Mark Melancon to walk off vs. San Francisco, 6-5, in front of a sellout crowd Sunday afternoon at Chase Field.
Bumgarner became the first pitcher to homer twice on Opening Day and he also struck out 11 over seven innings, but the Giants were not able to hold on to leads of 3-0 and 5-4.

D-backs closer Fernando Rodney entered a tie game in the top of the ninth and walked two and threw a wild pitch in allowing the Giants to score and grab a 5-4 lead.
Melancon, who signed a four-year, $62 million deal during the offseason, came on in the ninth and after retiring the first two batters allowed a double to Jeff Mathis and a single to pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso, which tied the game.

A.J. Pollock singled Descalso to third and Chris Owings drove him home with a single to right.
"He threw two good pitches to start me off," Owings said. "I faced him a couple of times in the past so that helped out a lot. I was just trying to get something up in the zone."
• Melancon moving on from forgettable debut

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Pollock's back: A fractured elbow suffered two days before last year's opener sidelined Pollock for all but a handful of games last year and this spring he hit just .143. But Pollock looked like his old self Sunday in hitting a two-run homer off Bumgarner and igniting two rallies with singles.

"He does a great job," Pollock said of Bumgarner. "He's got so much angle to his pitches. My first two he got off the barrel, which is kind of what he does. He just has a knack for doing that. Fortunately, that one he threw a fastball and I was able to stay inside of it a little better than the first two at-bats."
Law lashes at himself: Giants reliever Derek Law was self-critical after inheriting a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning and allowing the tying run to score. Law yielded consecutive singles to Pollock, Owings and Paul Goldschmidt before being removed.

"In a way, I think it's my fault because if I get to them earlier, maybe it's a different ending," Law said.
QUOTABLE
"You can't beat Opening Day. You really can't." -- Owings
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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
It was quite a day for D-backs catcher Mathis. He tripled off Bumgarner in the sixth, singled in the seventh and doubled in the ninth. The double had an exit velocity of 109.5 mph, which is the hardest he's hit a ball in the Statcast™ Era.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW
The Giants' Eduardo Núñez attempted to move from second base to third on a sixth-inning wild pitch and was initially ruled safe. But the call was overturned when replays showed that Nunez wasn't in contact with the bag as he was tagged.

One inning later, Denard Span of the Giants was declared out on a pickoff play at first base, a call that San Francisco challenged. After a review, it was determined that the call stands.

WHAT'S NEXT
Giants:Johnny Cueto will begin his quest to duplicate his successful 2016 debut with San Francisco when he confronts Arizona in a game beginning at 6:40 p.m. PT on Tuesday, following Monday's scheduled off-day. Cueto finished 18-5 last year, including 3-2 with a 4.13 ERA in five starts against Arizona last year.
D-backs: After taking Monday off, the D-backs will return to action against the Giants on Tuesday night with Patrick Corbin getting the ball in a 6:40 p.m. MST start.
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