Something Old, New for Giants

Little Darren Baker apparently left a few good bats in the San Francisco Giant clubhouse before moving to Chicago.

The retooled Giants, deprived of the world-famous batboy whose father, Dusty, is now managing the Chicago Cubs, flexed enough offensive muscle in their season opener Monday to defeat the San Diego Padres, 5-2, before a record regular-season crowd of 61,707 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Two holdovers made the difference in San Francisco’s first game since dumping four everyday players from its World Series lineup. Benito Santiago and J.T. Snow homered on consecutive pitches in the ninth inning to break a 2-2 tie and give the Giants their fifth victory in their last six openers.

“When something like that happens, you want to win the game,” San Francisco Manager Felipe Alou said after making his first appearance in a Giant uniform since completing a six-year tenure with the team as a player in 1963. “They deserved it.”

Outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. was one of several newcomers who chipped in for San Francisco, hitting a run-scoring single to right field in the ninth to set the final margin. Cruz finished two for three with two walks and Marquis Grissom added a single.

“It was good to get off to a good start,” Cruz said. “That’s as far as you can [read] into it. There’s plenty of teams that win their first game and don’t do anything the rest of the season.”

The most pleasant surprise was Ray Durham, the speedster who replaced slugger Jeff Kent as the Giants’ second baseman. Durham displayed some pop by hitting San Diego starter Brian Lawrence’s third pitch for a leadoff home run to right field.

Durham gave San Francisco a 2-0 lead in the third inning when he singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

San Diego, playing its final opener at its original stadium before moving into a new downtown ballpark next season, trimmed its deficit in half when Sean Burroughs doubled off the wall in right-center field in the fourth to drive in Xavier Nady. Ryan Klesko tied the score in the sixth by driving in Mark Kotsay with another double to right-center.

These already are lean times for the Padres, who feature a patchwork lineup with cleanup hitter Phil Nevin likely out for the season with a dislocated left shoulder and closer Trevor Hoffman out for at least two months with his own shoulder issues.

San Diego lost an exhibition last week to Portland, its triple-A franchise, and players were assigned to greet fans and pass out hats at stadium entrances before Monday’s game in an effort to drum up support.

The Giants may have bigger troubles after placing closer Robb Nen on the 15-day disabled list. Nen, the franchise’s all-time saves leader with 206, is scheduled to have his strained right shoulder examined today by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles.

Tim Worrell filled in for Nen on Monday, earning a save by pitching a scoreless ninth. Barry Bonds went hitless in three at-bats with two strikeouts and two intentional walks.