Giants' Joe Panik homers off Kenley Jansen (and Kershaw)

The historic first two games (and the entire series) had so many good things to like, especially since they happened to the Dodgers. 

Positives:

• Panik 2 HR's in the first two games to propel the good guys to a 2-0 record.
• Ty Blach working the magic againt Kershaw yet again.
• Cueto looking like an ace in his first start
• Strickland making Melancon's boo-boo look like addition by subtraction
• The bullpen overall looking pretty stout
• Would have rather seen Stratton than Holland in 3rd game, but 3 LHP vs. Dodgers is OK

Negatives:

1. Giants continue to prove, like many sabermetricians, that clutch hitting doesn't exist.
2. Two runs in three games is a recipe for a repeat of last year. 
3. Posey and Longoria where are you?

OTOH, they did win two out of three with the negatives and are the negatives likely to recur or do they regress UPWARDS to the mean? We'll see. It's the first series and I'm very happy with 2-3 on the road against the Dodgers.  

from mlb.com

https://www.mlb.com/news/giants-joe-panik-homers-off-kenley-jansen/c-270230822

2 games, 2 Panik HRs, 2 1-0 wins for Giants

4:06 AM ETLOS ANGELES -- Joe Panik won't hit 162 home runs that account for the scoring in each game. He doesn't have to. His accomplishments in two such games are rare enough.
For the second game in a row, Panik was the only player on either team to touch home plate without kicking it in frustration. His ninth-inning home run Friday off Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers' formidable closer, gave the Giants a 1-0 victory that was nothing short of precedent-setting.
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According to STATS, Panik, who went deep off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Tuesday's season opener, is the first Major Leaguer to hit back-to-back solo homers at any juncture of the season to win 1-0 games for his team. The Giants are also the first team since the 1943 Reds to open a season with consecutive 1-0 victories.
"It's a good feeling to be in the situation to make those hits happen," said Panik, who made sure to add, "It all stems from pitching. I said it yesterday -- without [them], I wouldn't be standing here."
This game cornered the early-season market on drama. Giants starter Johnny Cueto retired the first 18 batters he faced before Chris Taylor punched a soft single to right field. That would be the Dodgers' lone hit for the entire game.
• Cueto flirts with perfection in first startThe Giants mustered only two hits as pitching continued to dominate this season-opening series. San Francisco is batting .154 (10-for-65); Los Angeles is batting .121 (7-for-58). Only Panik has provided meaningful offense with his power.
"That's not his game," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But the guys he's hit 'em off, that's pretty remarkable. Couldn't have come at a better time."
Teaming with relievers Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland, who recorded his second consecutive save, Cueto helped San Francisco doom the Dodgers to their second shutout defeat in the season's first two games for the first time in 50 years and second time in history.
Dodgers starter Alex Wood lost his perfect game on the first of three Logan Forsythe errors in the top of the fourth inning. Wood lost the no-hitter on an infield single by Brandon Crawford to fellow shortstop Corey Seager with two out in the top of the fifth inning. Wood struck out five and made 90 pitches.
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDCan't cash in: The Giants had their best early chance after Forsythe's fourth-inning error. Panik bunted Austin Jackson to second base, but Andrew McCutchen struck out and Buster Posey grounded to shortstop.
Still got it: Left fielder Matt Kemp, whose defense has been the Dodgers' biggest area of concern, made a long run to flag down Jackson's towering fly on the warning track in the corner to end the top of the eighth inning.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDSJansen's pickoff of McCutchen at first base in the ninth inning, which required a Dodgers challenge and video review to overturn the original safe call, was the first one of Jansen's career.
MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAYThe Giants achieved what for them was nearly impossible -- creating a baserunner against Wood -- with the help of replay. With one out in the fifth inning, Hunter Pence tapped a grounder to Dodgers third baseman Forsythe, who briefly lost control of the ball. As usual, Pence hustled to first base. He initially was called out, but replays demonstrated otherwise, and the call was overturned.
WHAT'S NEXTLeft-hander Derek Holland will make his first National League appearance Saturday when he starts for the Giants in a 6:10 p.m. PT contest at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles will counter with righty Kenta Maeda in its effort to secure its first victory of the season.
Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.
Chris Haft has covered the Giants since 2005, and for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat and listen to his podcast.
Read more: Johnny Cueto, Kenley Jansen, Joe Panik, Alex Wood

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