Cueto stellar in Giants debut victory

Inside Miller Park, the Giants saw the earliest returns on their $130 million investment in Johnny Cueto and had to smile after he dominated the Brewers in a 2-1 victory that was over in 2 hours, 29 minutes.

Cueto cuffed the Brewers for seven innings, allowing one run on a night he had to be that good because his bat-wielding teammates did not afford him the 12 runs and 15 hits they supplied Madison Bumgarner on Opening Day.

Buster Posey earned an assist with a nice defensive play, backhanding a Crawford throw to the wrong side of the plate and applying a lunging tag on Jonathan Villar to save a run the Giants ultimately could not afford to allow.

Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla retiring their six hitters to end the taut kind of game the commissioner's office likes so all the kiddies can stay up to watch the final out.

Bochy also liked Cueto's "game awareness," such as busting it to first base on a third-inning groundball when he smelled a hit but barely exiting the batter's box when he hit two more grounders.

Cueto had fun with reporters who asked why he charged up the line like a wannabe leadoff hitter the first time, saying, I ran because I like to sweat.

The biggest takeaway from Cueto's Giants debut was how sharp and strong he looked -- walking none, striking out four and hitting 92 mph in the seventh inning -- despite arriving at spring training behind the other starters in throwing.

The people of Wisconsin do not vote again until the general election, but the Giants get to see more early returns Wednesday when their other big acquisition, Jeff Samardzija, tries to pitch the Giants to a season-opening sweep.