Giants at Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks expected to face a number of issues this season, but losing their home-field advantage wasn’t among them. The Diamondbacks have dropped five straight at home and are 5-14 at Chase Field entering Saturday’s game against the visiting San Francisco Giants, who have won three in a row.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is batting .225 after going 0-for-8 in the first two games of the series for Arizona, which has lost three straight following a five-game winning streak. Outfielder David Peralta has been out of the starting lineup for the past six games due to a sore right wrist but was available to pinch-hit in Friday’s 3-1 loss and hopes to avoid the disabled list. San Francisco received a boost Friday from left fielder Angel Pagan, who singled and scored a run in his return after missing the previous 10 games due to a strained left hamstring. The Giants hit into five double plays Friday and lead the majors with 39, but second baseman Joe Panik has homered in back-to-back games to help overcome the self-inflicted damage.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBC Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Jake Peavy (1-4, 8.47 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (1-3, 4.12)
Peavy allowed three runs in five innings against Toronto last Monday and suffered his first loss at AT&T Park since last July 8, but the 34-year-old was encouraged after yielding a total of 13 runs in his previous two outings. “There's stuff I’m going to take away from this, in knowing I made good pitches to good hitters, and be stronger the next time out,” Peavy told reporters. Chris Owings is 5-for-12 against Peavy, who is 17-13 with a 4.56 ERA in 35 career starts against Arizona.
Corbin tossed seven scoreless innings last Sunday against Atlanta but emerged with a no-decision after the bullpen allowed three runs in the eighth. The strong outing marked another step forward for the 26-year-old, who missed much of the past two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Corbin is 4-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 11 career starts against the Giants, but he has struggled to contain Buster Posey (9-for-28) and Hunter Pence (10-for-21, three home runs).
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona INF Jean Segura owns an 11-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in a career-high 20 games.
2. San Francisco starting pitchers have posted a 2.02 ERA over their past eight outings.
3. Owings is 12-for-29 in his last eight games against the Giants, including five multi-hit efforts.