SAN FRANCISCO -- Shortstop Brandon Crawford called it the best start the San Francisco Giants enjoyed all season.

Indeed, it would be tough to top leadoff hitter Denard Span's homer into the bay in the bottom of the first inning, which touched off an offensive ignition switch in the Giants' 11-5 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park.

Span became the 70th Giant to record a Splash Hit, and the first to do so in the team's first at-bat of the game. Then he dropped down a deft bunt single down the third base line in the third inning.

The marathon-like game lasted 3 hours, 38 minutes as the teams combined for 25 hits, including 14 by the Giants. Span and Matt Duffy, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games, had three hits apiece.

Span's versatility was just what the Giants were looking for when they signed him to a $31 million contract in the offseason. He was in the postseason three times previously with two teams that were eliminated in the first round.

Now he is with a winner with a championship pedigree.

"It was a huge lift and quite the contrast there," Duffy said of Span's Splash Hit and the bunt. "The home run we were surprised by. The bunt is probably more his game, even though he's got that pop. That's a long home run right there to get it into the water. That's not an easy thing to do."

Duffy said making Span's feat even more impressive is that lefties were 1-for-29 against Brewers right-hander Chase Anderson over the past two weeks.

"So for him to get us off on that good note, especially being a lefty, that was positive," Duffy said. "I think it might have given (Joe) Panik and (Brandon) Belt a little bit of confidence right behind him, too."

The Giants improved to a major league-best 22-8 since May 11.

The Brewers, coming off a 4-2 homestand, were opening a nine-game West Coast trip. Anderson was 3-1 over his previous five starts with a 2.03 ERA, but San Francisco tagged him for five hits and four earned runs over five innings.

Anderson said the team feeds off its fans at home, but on the road, "we've got to figure out what we're gonna do to keep that going."

He shook off Span's opening salvo.

"Maybe a couple of years ago I would have been mentally rattled, but today I just kept going and tried to get the next guy out," he said. "It's kind of like a boxing match. They punch you, they knock you down. You get back up and you punch them again. You try to come back and do the best you can to limit the damage."

San Francisco went ahead to stay, 5-4, with a run in the sixth on Crawford's sacrifice fly to left, scoring Buster Posey, who walked and advanced to third on Duffy's single.

In the back-and-forth contest through six innings, the Brewers tied it 4-4 in the top of the sixth on Ramon Flores' RBI single after a leadoff double by Aaron Hill. Giants left fielder Jarrett Parker made an acrobatic catch near the 339-foot marker to rob Jonathan Villar for the second out, helping limit the damage.

Giants starter Matt Cain breezed through a 1-2-3 first inning, evoking visions of his June 13 start exactly four years ago, when he fired a perfect game against the Houston Astros. But this version of Cain was coming off the 15-day disabled list, had one victory in his previous six decisions this season, and was on a tight leash by manager Bruce Bochy.

Cain's dance with perfection was brief this time -- he walked Chris Carter and Kirk Nieuwenhuis back-to-back with one out in the second inning. Then Cain induced Hill into a comebacker and a double play.

"I actually thought he didn't show bad stuff," Duffy said of Cain. "I think he just missed with a few of his pitches."

Cain wound up yielding three runs on five hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. Albert Suarez (2-1) got the win in relief after permitting two runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Nieuwenhuis was disappointed the Brewers let the Giants off the ropes.

"It was tough, but you've got to flush it and come back tomorrow," he said.

NOTES: Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted that Milwaukee and San Francisco have had "preliminary (trade) talks" about Brewers OF Ryan Braun, but nothing is imminent. ... Brewers RHP Michael Blazek (right elbow impingement) will make a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Giants RHP Matt Cain (right hamstring strain) was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list for the start. RHP Chris Stratton was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, where he will be a starter. ... San Francisco OF Angel Pagan (left hamstring strain) will return Wednesday after Monday's rehab game in Sacramento. Pagan was 3-for-7 with an RBI in two rehab starts. ... Giants RHP Jake Peavy (neck) should be OK for his next start after aggravating his neck in Sunday's start. Peavy underwent treatment Monday.