Padres at Giants
After putting an end to their slide last time out, the San Diego Padres attempt to begin a winning streak when they visit the San Francisco Giants on Saturday afternoon as the National League West rivals continue their four-game series. San Diego halted its five-game skid on Friday with a 6-2 triumph, pounding out 12 hits as it fell one run shy of matching its total output during the losing streak.
Eric Hosmer and Manuel Margot each recorded two hits and two RBIs, with the latter posting his third consecutive two-hit performance. San Francisco managed only five hits in Friday's setback as its three-game winning streak came to an end. Gorkys Hernandez is 6-for-14 over his last four contests after delivering a pair of doubles in the loss, while Buster Posey was hitless in four at-bats after going 4-for-11 over his previous three contests. Joe Panik has gone 4-for-7 over his last three games for the Giants, who are 3-2 on their 10-game homestand.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Jordan Lyles (2-4, 4.46 ERA) vs. Giants LH Andrew Suarez (2-4, 4.70)
Lyles has lost all three of his starts this month, including a setback at Atlanta last Saturday in which he allowed just one run and five hits over seven innings. It was a strong bounceback effort from the 27-year-old native of South Carolina, who was battered for 12 runs and 22 hits over 10 1/3 frames in his two previous turns. Lyles is 3-3 with a 6.11 ERA in 17 career games (seven starts) against San Francisco, including three relief appearances earlier this season.
Suarez is unbeaten in his last five starts, although he has recorded just one victory in that span. The 25-year-old Floridian rookie settled for a no-decision against Miami on Monday after giving up two runs and five hits with a career high-tying seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Suarez made his only appearance against San Diego on May 1, when he allowed two runs and four hits over seven frames but did not factor in the decision in his second major-league start.
WALK-OFFS
1. The teams went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position on Friday after going 1-for-14 in such situations in the series opener.
2. San Diego hit .177 during its losing streak, with Hosmer going 3-for-21.
3. San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto (elbow) is slated to make the first of what is expected to be three rehab starts for Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday.