Giants don't get away with any mistakes in AZ sweep

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PHOENIXThe Arizona clay was so baked and so firm, BusterPosey couldnt tell if his foot was still touching the plate.

It was not. Everything in the seventh inning Sundayheck,everything in this season-opening serieswas not where the Giants needed itto be.

The Giants wore new alternate uniforms inspired by the 1980sand ended up in a time warp, all right. The Arizona Diamondbacks mixed jabswith haymakers while coming back from a six-run deficit against Matt Cain, thenscored the tiebreaking run when Poseys foot drifted off the dish on a forceplay and the Giants were stunned after a 7-6 loss swept them out of the SonoranDesert.

The Giants are 0-3 to begin a season for the first timesince 1984, when current announcer Duane Kuiper, not Cain, wore No.18.

The Diamondbacks, the defending NL West champions, droppedexclamation points over the fence while scoring 14 runs in 15 13 inningsagainst Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain. Manager Kirk Gibsonsconfident crew has now beaten the Giants eight consecutive times dating back tolast season, and 10 of the last 12.

So the Giants were left with two unfavorable subjects toponder on their flight to Denver: The myriad ways they let three one-run gamesget away from them, or the uncanny way that Arizonas hitters barreled up everymistake pitch.

One thing the Diamondbacks did all seriesif we mademistakes, they made us pay for them, Posey said.

Lincecum and Bumgarner made most of theirs in the firstinning. Cain didnt begin to miss badly until he had a big lead.

Whether they got to their pitch early or late, they got toit, said left-hander Jeremy Affeldt, who took the loss when he only retiredone of three batters in a calamitous seventh inning.

It just shows the game is not easy and were facing a goodoffensive team thats gotten better and better over the years. I think wevegot good enough pitching to equalize them, but we just didnt get it done.

The Giants started out well enough. Shortstop BrandonCrawfords first hit of the season also gave the club its first lead of 2012.His double in the second inning gave the Giants a 2-0 lead and Buster Poseymade it 6-0 in the third when his two-run home run carried near the swimmingpool in right-center.

Poseys Easter Sunday home run was his first in the bigleagues since April 24 of last season -- which also happened to be EasterSunday, strangely enough.

But the Giants quieted down as soon as right-hander JoshCollmenter departed, thougha momentum stoppage they later would regret. Theyeven failed to capitalize when the Diamondbacks committed four errors over thefourth, fifth and sixth innings. Left-hander Wade Miley didnt allow a hit inhis four inningsa troubling sign after the Giants struggled to pose a threatto any left-handed pitching this spring.

Still, the Giants had Cain on the mound and no cause foralarm. After all, they didnt blowa lead of larger than four runs all last season; the last time they blew a leadof six runs or more was July 28, 2010, to Floridaand that game resulted in a10-9 victory.

Yet Lyle Overbay hit a two-run double in the fourth and Cainpaid for consecutive mistakes in the sixth. Ryan Roberts hit a two-run homerand Overbay followed with a solo shot to get the Diamondbacks within a run.

In both rallies, Miguel Montero drew a walk.

Middle, middle, said Cain, describing the two home runpitches. The two walks to Montero were obviously huge, too.

Cain didnt allow two home runs in any of his 33 starts lastseason. He served up just nine for the year. Arizona hit just one in 175 totalplate appearances against him.

Maybe the Diamondbacks were just overdue.

The thing about these guys, almost every one of em cantake you deep, Cain said. So youve got to focus on making pitches to all ofthem. Youve got to stay on your game and not let anything slip. That happenedtoday. I didnt make pitches when I needed to.

Neither did Affeldt or Santiago Casilla, who combined toload the bases in the seventh on a single and two walks. Left-hander JavierLopez got the ground ball that maanger Bruce Bochy wanted from Montero, ButCrawford backpedaled on the ball and couldnt make a clean stop as the tyingrun scored.

"I was trying to get the big hop and I just rushed myself,trying to get two instead of the one out, said Crawford, who was charged withan error.

Right-hander Sergio Romo got another badly needed groundball from Chris Young, but third baseman Pablo Sandoval threw wide to the plateand Posey couldnt keep his right foot from sliding. Umpire Mike DiMuroimmediately called Aaron Hill safe.

Posey did not argue. Bochy did, and got ejected.

I couldnt tell, to be honest, Bochy said. I got wordfrom somebody in the dugout he was on home plate and I lost it. Looking at it,(DiMuro) was right. Its a natural reaction.

Posey was charged with his third error of the series. Healso made a weak throw to second base earlier in the game, and failed to securea foul pop near the screen.

He said he kept his right foot on the plate because thatshow he would stand on a force play as a first basemannot to protect hissurgically repaired left ankle.

As hard as the ground is there, I couldnt feel where itwas, he said.

Now the Giants face an even harder reality. They must turn to Barry Zito, who threw battingpractice toward the end of the spring, to prevent them from the first 0-4 startin the clubs San Francisco era. They havent been 0-4 to start a season since1950. Thats when Bill Rigneyas a player, not a managerwore No.18, incase you were wondering.

At least a few current Giants were willing to look ahead,memorizing May 11-13 on the schedule. Thats when theyll return to ChaseField.

Well be back here in a month, said Crawford. And wellbe back.

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