Diamondbacks at Giants
Off to a 7-2 start for the second straight season, the Arizona Diamondbacks return to divisional play Monday when they begin a three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants. The Diamondbacks opened their nine-game road trip over the weekend by taking two of three from St. Louis, including Sunday’s 4-1 victory.
Arizona center fielder A.J. Pollock went 2-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday’s win, which was interrupted in the second inning when the benches cleared after manager Torey Lovullo got in a shouting match with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. Lovullo was ejected for his part in the fracas and watched from the clubhouse as left fielder David Peralta hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth to give Arizona the series victory. The Giants are even at 4-4 following a split of a rain-shortened two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Third baseman Evan Longoria has struggled out of the gate with his new club, but the veteran showed signs of breaking out of his early-season slump with two hits in Sunday’s 2-1 loss in 10 innings.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, NBCSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Godley (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. Giants LH Derek Holland (0-1, 5.40)
Godley outdueled Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers last Tuesday, earning the victory after giving up one earned run on four hits and one walk over seven innings. “He sinks it, he cuts it. He’s got a plus-curveball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “He sort of keeps you off balance and finds a way to miss barrels.” Hunter Pence is 4-for-5 with two homers against the 27-year-old, who is 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA four career games (two starts) against the Giants.
Holland took the loss in his Giants debut on March 31 against the Dodgers, allowing five runs (three earned) over five innings. The 31-year-old, who is facing Arizona for the first time, earned a spot in the rotation after posting a 4.05 ERA over 20 innings in spring training. After pitching his first eight seasons for Texas, Holland moved to the Chicago White Sox in 2017 and struggled in the second half, going 2-5 with an 8.93 ERA in his final 12 games (nine starts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt is batting .310 with nine home runs and 41 RBIs in 59 career games at AT&T Park.
2. The Giants have outhomered their opponents by a 10-2 margin through their first eight games.
3. The Diamondbacks were 12-7 against the Giants last season, albeit just 4-5 at AT&T Park.