Matt Cain looks good in first outing for Giants since July

Sure it’s still the spring, but two perfect innings against the Dodgers was the perfect way for Matt Cain to make a return to a major-league mound.

Cain made his final start of 2014 on July 9 and had surgery in August to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He went under the knife again in September, this time to remove a bone spur from his right ankle.

Healthy and raring to go, Monday was his first chance to get back in action and everything went according to plan. He needed just 20 pitches to record six outs and allowed no baserunners.

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“That went really good. I wanted to get out there and get in rhythm, find a groove and it all worked out,” Cain told reporters after the game, which ended in a 5-5 tie.

“Obviously we’re happy with the first outing,” added Giants manager Bruce Bochy. “He had good command, good stuff, and he used all his pitches. For the layoff he’s had, that was an impressive two innings for him.”

Now with the first outing out of the way, Cain can settle in and focus on the details. The 30-year-old right-hander isn’t discouraged by last season’s injury-plagued campaign. He’s intent on getting back to the form that made him one of baseball’s top pitchers from 2007 to 2012.

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“I want to go out there and throw 200 innings,” said Cain. “I want to go out there and give those guys a chance to win every fifth day. That’s my goal and that’s what I want to do.”

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Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr