Tim Hudson Throws 2 Scoreless Innings As San Francisco Giants Beat Arizona 5-3

In his first start since breaking his ankle last July, Tim Hudson threw two scoreless innings and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday in Cactus League action at Scottsdale Stadium.

Hudson sustained a broken ankle when he was stepped on by Eric Young Jr. of the New York Mets last July 24 while covering first base.

In his first action since the injury, Hudson faced the minimum six batters in his two-inning stint, throwing 27 pitches and striking out one. The lone baserunner he allowed was on an error by first baseman Brandon Belt and was erased on a double play in which Hudson had to cover the bag.

The Giants (2-2) took control of the game with a four-run fifth inning against reliever Brad Ziegler.

Juan Perez and Angel Pagan led off with back-to-back singles. After a fielder’s choice wiped out the lead runner at third and left runners at first and second, Buster Posey grounded a single to left to score Pagan to tie the game at 2-2.

After a groundout moved runners to second and third, Pablo Sandoval walked to load the bases and Hector Sanchez, pinch-hitting for Michael Morse, lined a single to right to score two runs. After Adam Russell took over for Ziegler, Joaquin Arias singled to right to score Sandoval, while Sanchez was thrown out at third to end the inning.

San Francisco scored first in the bottom of the first. Posey reached on a two-out single off Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley, moved up when Hunter Pence walked and scored on a single by Sandoval.

It remained 1-0 until the fifth when Arizona (3-3) struck for two runs off reliever Kameron Loe.

Mark Trumbo led off with a double to right and scored on Miguel Montero’s single. Loe hit A.J. Pollock and walked Cliff Pennington to load the bases and Gerardo Parra gave the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Arizona tried to mount a ninth-inning rally off Jean Machi. Ender Inciarte reached on a one-out infield single and stole second. He scored on a two-out double by Mike Jacobs. Machi then got Andy Marte to ground out to end it.

Loe (1-0) was awarded the win despite allowing two runs on three hits and a walk in two innings of work. Ziegler (0-1) took the loss for the Diamondbacks and Machi earned his first save of the spring after allowing a run on two hits in the ninth.

Javier Lopez pitched a scoreless third inning for the Giants, allowing a hit. Jose De Paula worked a perfect sixth, Juan Gutierrez walked two and struck out two in a scoreless seventh and Rafael Dolis retired all three batters he faced, one by strikeout, in the eighth.

At the plate, San Francisco had 12 hits, including two apiece by Pagan, Posey and Perez.

The Giants are at Scottsdale Stadium again on Monday, hosting the San Diego Padres at 12:05 p.m. Pacific.