Diamondbacks at Giants
Paul Goldschmidt is swinging a hot bat and seeks his eighth multi-hit performance in 11 games when the Arizona Diamondbacks visit the San Francisco Giants on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. Goldschmidt went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Arizona posted a 2-1 win in the series opener - one day after clubbing a career-best three homers and driving in six in a victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Goldschmidt, a five-time All-Star and two-time National League MVP runner-up, is 17-for-34 with four homers and 13 RBIs over his last 10 games. Arizona has won three consecutive contests while holding possession of the NL's top wild-card spot by one-half game over Colorado. San Francisco notched just three hits in the opener to lose for the sixth time in eight games and will be without Brandon Belt on Saturday after he was hit in the head with a pitch and dealing with concussion symptoms. "I'm sure this is probably scaring him a little bit because he’s been through this," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters of what would be Belt's fourth diagnosed concussion. "It’s not a lot of fun going through one, and now he's going through another. I'm sure he's got some concerns, as we do."
TV: 9:05 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Taijuan Walker (6-5, 3.55 ERA) vs. Giants RH Chris Stratton (0-2, 7.71)
Walker is 0-2 in a six-start stretch since last winning on June 21 against Colorado. The 24-year-old struck out 10 - one shy of his season high - in 5 2/3 innings against St. Louis in his last turn while he gave up three runs and four hits en route to the loss. Walker is 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts against the Giants, with the loss occurring on April 10 as he gave up three runs - two earned - and five hits over five frames.
Stratton will be making his second start and fifth appearance of the season for the Giants. The 26-year-old lost to Detroit on July 6, when he gave up five runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings as a late fill-in for the injured Johnny Cueto. Stratton walked five in the loss to the Tigers and has issued 13 free passes in 24 major-league innings over the last two seasons.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants C Buster Posey was 0-for-3 on Friday and is in a homerless drought that spans 20 games.
2. Arizona OF J.D. Martinez is 1-for-13 - the hit being a home run - with seven strikeouts in four contests this month.
3. San Francisco CF Denard Span is just 3-for-25 over his last six games.