SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants' offense gained a little legitimacy Tuesday.
They entered their home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks leading the Major Leagues in homers and ranking third in the National League in scoring. But playing at AT&T Park threated to stifle the Giants' impressive offense. It happened last year, when they finished next-to-last in the league in homers and 12th in scoring at home.
But under sunny skies and an atmosphere reeking of optimism, the Giants maintained their robust production in a 7-3 victory as Brandon Belt lashed a two-run homer and each of the first seven Giants in the batting order hit safely or scored.
 
Giants' bats stay hot behind strong Hudson
 
This provided ample support for Giants starter Tim Hudson, who defeated Arizona for the second time in a week. Hudson, who limited the D-backs to three hits in 7 2/3 shutout innings last Wednesday, made his first Giants home appearance and worked eight innings, the most by a San Francisco starter this season.
Befitting their 6-2 record, the Giants started fast. Angel Pagan, the Giants' first batter at AT&T Park in 2014, drew a walk before Belt drove a 2-1 pitch to the right-field seats. Belt became the first Giant to amass five homers in the team's first eight games since Jose Cruz Jr. in 2003.
After Arizona halved the difference with a second-inning run, the Giants began pulling away by adding three runs in the third. After Pagan doubled and Belt singled, Buster Posey hit an RBI single and Michael Morse added a two-out, two-run single.
Paul Goldschmidt's double, Martin Prado's single and Miguel Montero's sacrifice fly for Arizona narrowed the difference to 5-2 in the fourth. Then the Giants struck again in the fifth, scoring twice with two outs -- a specialty of theirs this season. Hunter Pence walked and Morse doubled to prolong the inning. Pence stole second base to set up Brandon Crawford's two-run single.
Chris Haft / MLB.com
 

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