SAN FRANCISCO -- For the second time in three days, a top prospect starred in a Giants victory. Two days after Joey Bart hit his first career homer, Heliot Ramos helped the Giants to a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins that clinched a series victory to open the season.
The Giants got an immediate infusion of energy from Ramos, who singled in his first at-bat and scored the game-tying run a few moments later. Ramos had two hits in his MLB debut and went the distance in left field.
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Luke Williams and Wilmer Flores tacked on runs as the Giants built a small lead, and the bullpen held strong for 5 1/3 innings. Jarlin Garcia got six big outs and Zack Littell coaxed a double play to end the seventh.
Manager Gabe Kapler was without Camilo Doval and Jake McGee after both pitched in the first two games, but that didn't matter. Tyler Rogers had a scoreless eighth and Dominic Leone wiped away the memories from his rough opening day, striking out two while getting the save.
The Debut
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Ramos wasn't going to wait around on Sunday. With his first big league swing, the 22-year-old smoked a 107 mph grounder up the middle that Jazz Chisholm couldn't corral. It went down as Ramos' first MLB hit, and he immediately raced around from first to tie the game when Mauricio Dubon doubled.
Ramos' second at-bat also started with a called strike and ended with a hard single, this time into right field. Kapler generally goes for the platoon advantage, but he let Ramos face right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong in the sixth. He swung through an elevated 96 mph fastball to strike out.
Their First Test
The biggest question for the Giants this season is whether they have enough bats against left-handed pitching. Their first test was a mixed bag, but there was more good than bad.
The lineup had eight right-handed bats and totaled six hits and three runs against lefty Trevor Rogers, who was second in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting last year. One of the runs was unearned, though, a gift that came from a throwing error to open the third.
The day was fine but would have looked better with a little luck for Darin Ruf, who is the roster's best current option against lefties. Ruf had a double in the third and nearly hit a solo shot in the fifth, but Marlins left fielder Jorge Soler made a leaping grab at the wall.
Not At His Best
All of the starters are on pitch counts after a short spring training, but the Giants were able to get six-plus innings from Logan Webb on Friday and five dominant frames from Carlos Rodon a day later. Anthony DeSclafani's season debut was cut short in the fourth when he walked Jorge Soler and hit Garrett Cooper to load the bases in a game the Giants led 3-2.
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DeSclafani gave up eight hits and two earned in 3 2/3, although there were a few bloops mixed in there. He struck out five and walked one.
The damage in the fourth was limited when Garcia entered and got Jesus Sanchez to pop his first pitch up to center. Garcia came back out and retired five straight before handing the ball to Littell.
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