Rays' quick start ruins Giants' home opener

Tampa Bay jumped on San Francisco starter Dereck Rodriguez for four runs before many at the Giants' home opener had settled in, and Tyler Glasnow pitched six innings of three-hit, shutout ball as the Rays continued their torrid play with a 5-2 victory on Friday afternoon. Yandy Diaz and Kevin Kiermaier hit first-inning home runs for the Rays, who took a 4-0 lead and never looked back en route to their sixth win in eight games this season.

Rodriguez (1-1), who pitched the Giants to their first victory of the season last week at San Diego, took the loss. The second-year right-hander retired the first two batters he faced before Ji-Man Choi and Brandon Lowe lashed consecutive doubles to open the scoring.

Diaz, who had a total of one homer over the past two seasons with the Cleveland Indians to begin his big-league career, then unloaded for the second time this season, a two-run shot to left field that made it a 3-0 game. Kiermeier followed with his second homer of the young season, a bomb to right-center field at the newly named Oracle Park, to complete the four-run inning.

The Giants' best chance to get back in the game came in the second inning, when a Buster Posey single, an error and a two-out walk loaded the bases for Rodriguez. However, the son of Hall of Fame slugger Ivan Rodriguez grounded out to first, stranding the baserunners.

The Giants got just three hits off Glasnow (2-0). The right-hander, who also pitched effectively last week in a home win over the Houston Astros, walked one and struck out six Friday. After doubles by Michael Perez and Austin Meadows increased the Tampa Bay lead to 5-0 in the seventh, the Giants rallied against the Rays' bullpen in the bottom of the inning. San Francisco scored twice off Wilmer Font on a single by Kevin Pillar and consecutive two-out RBI doubles by Pablo Sandoval and Steven Duggar.

Left-hander Adam Kolarek came on at that point and got Brandon Belt to ground out, retaining the 5-2 cushion. Diego Castillo and Jose Alvarado finished up for the Rays, handing the Giants their sixth loss in eight games to start the season.

The Giants got two on with no outs against Alvarado in the ninth, but the Tampa Bay closer retired the next three batters for his third save. Rodriguez lasted 5 1/3 innings, charged with four runs on seven hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Choi collected three hits, while Meadows and Diaz had two apiece for the Rays, who have outscored opponents 26-8 since a 5-1 season-opening loss to Houston. Posey went 2-for-4 for the Giants, who were opening a 10-game homestand.

The Rays out-hit the Giants 11-8. --Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)