San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: Preview for Opening Day 2012

For the second season in a row, the 2012 San Francisco Giants embark on their 162-game campaign starting in National League West enemy territory.

Last year it was against the odious Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. This year the G-men exit the dugout onto Chase Field squaring off against the reigning NL West-champion Diamondbacks.

Two-time Cy Young Award-winner Tim Lincecum retains his role as the Opening Day starter for the fourth consecutive season. Clayton Kershaw—last year’s NL Cy Young—bested Timmy in a 2-1 defeat in 2011, though neither pitcher surrendered an earned run through seven innings.

For the Friday season opener, at approximately 4:10 PM PDT, Lincecum goes to battle against the Snakes’ ace, Ian Kennedy, who won 21 games in 2011. Big Time Timmy Jim looks to avenge both his Opening Day loss of 2011, and his season-long struggles against the D-backs.

He went 0-3 with a disappointing 4.32 ERA over four starts, while Kennedy posted a 3-0 record and 1.22 ERA in five starts against the Giants.

As for the rest of the starting lineup, the Giants return four batters from 2011, including Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval. Posey occupying the cleanup spot is the only showing of continuity in the batting order, as Huff, Belt, Sandoval and the new additions will bat in different parts of the lineup.

New center fielder Angel Pagan replaces Andres Torres in the leadoff spot, while right fielder Melky Cabrera replaces the injured Freddy Sanchez in the No. 2 slot, and Sandoval manning third in the order instead of the lowly No. 8 spot.

Huff likely moves from third to fifth, and Belt from seventh to sixth. Manny Burris fills in for Sanchez at second base and will likely bat seventh. Brandon Crawford reserves the honor of Opening Day shortstop for the Giants and will bat eighth.

Huff will start in left field, Belt at first base, and Sandoval at third to round out the field. (We certainly know where Posey will be playing—at least for this game.)

One recent power rankings has Arizona as the seventh-best team in all of baseball, and rates San Francisco as only worthy of No. 15 out of 30.

Both clubs return in 2012 equally strong, if not better. Manager Kirk Gibson leads his 94-win squad from the year before, which saw these two teams split their 18 matchups. Despite the 9-9 record, the Diamondbacks out-hit and out-pitched the Bruce Bochy-led Giants, who’ll surely have to win more than 86 games if they intend on winning the division or making the postseason. 

Leaning on the shoulders of Justin Upton, Arizona possesses the advantage offensively (AZ scored 161 more runs last season), even with the Giants’ added firepower this offseason. Their formidable rotation headed by Kennedy and Daniel Hudson, meanwhile, still ranks below the exceptional pitching staff of San Francisco. 

The three-headed monster of Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner is one of the MLB’s most dominant starting three, not to mention the entire staff holding down the No. 2 ranking with a 3.20 ERA, as Sergio Romo and Brian Wilson will continue to close games out.

David Hernandez and closer J.J. Putz form a remarkable tandem themselves for the Diamondbacks bullpen.

So, as it stands, the Arizona Diamondbacks with their greater offensive abilities and solid enough pitching are still the more superior team. It would be complete biased homerism on my part if I said otherwise.

For the April 6, 2012 Opening Day matchup, though, I predict a low-scoring affair with the G-men prevailing 3-2. Both Lincecum and Kennedy will showcase their Cy Young worthiness, but the former will emerge victorious.

B-Weezy will mow ‘em down in his typically dramatic fashion to put Game 1 of the 2012 Major League Baseball season in the books.

I expect the campaign toward the acquisition of NL West bragging rights to be a compelling season-long effort.

Giants baseball is back. Bottoms up.