Pirates at Giants
The atmosphere at AT&T Park remains electric, but the San Francisco Giants haven’t given their home fans much to cheer about recently. The Giants are 6-19 at home since June 9 heading into Monday’s series opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, who have won six of their nine games since the All-Star break. San Francisco is looking to regroup after losing three straight to Los Angeles over the weekend and falling 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Dodgers in the National League West.
Pittsburgh sits in third place in the NL Central, three games behind division-leading Milwaukee. First-time All-Star Josh Harrison continues to spark the Pirates from the leadoff spot while playing multiple positions, and he belted a solo homer among his four hits in Sunday’s 7-5 win at Colorado. “It’s fun to watch this kid play,” manager Clint Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s a backyard ballplayer that continues to find ways to help us win.”
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Vance Worley (3-1, 3.10 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (12-7, 3.19)
Worley earned his first win in nearly a month last Monday when he allowed four runs (one earned) over six innings against the Dodgers. The 26-year-old was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 15 and has pitched into the seventh inning in four of his first six starts. Dan Uggla is 5-for-11 with two homers against Worley, who is 2-1 with a 4.09 ERA in three career starts against San Francisco.
Bumgarner won his third consecutive start last Wednesday by tossing eight scoreless innings with no walks in a 3-1 win over Philadelphia. The 24-year-old has gone 8-2 with a 1.75 ERA in 12 starts away from AT&T Park, but he’s looking to improve his 4-5 record and 5.22 ERA in 10 starts at home. Bumgarner is 1-2 with a 1.71 ERA in three career starts against Pittsburgh, and he owns a 54-6 lifetime mark when receiving three-or-more runs of support.
WALK-OFFS
1. Uggla is hitless in eight at-bats and has three errors in three games since joining the Giants on Friday.
2. Pittsburgh pitchers have not allowed a home run at AT&T Park in their last six games covering 51 innings.
3. The Giants have recorded one extra-base hit in their last four games.