Diamondbacks at Giants
The Arizona Diamondbacks have made themselves right at home at Oracle Park this season, winning six of their eight meetings with the San Francisco Giants at the scenic stadium. The Diamondbacks look to continue the trend on Tuesday, when they conclude their brief two-game series against the Giants.
Adam Jones homered and Wilmer Flores went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Monday’s 6-4 victory as Arizona moved back to .500, pulled within four games of the second National League wild-card spot and one half-game ahead of the Giants. Ketel Marte extended his on-base streak to 20 games, but Nick Ahmed was hitless in four at-bats and is 1-for-23 over his last seven contests. San Francisco won two straight against Oakland over the weekend but struck out 11 times and was 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position in Monday’s loss. Brandon Crawford went 3-for-4 while Kevin Pillar and Evan Longoria recorded two hits apiece, but Buster Posey was hitless in five at-bats and is 9-for-52 with one RBI over his last 13 games.
TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Mike Leake (9-10, 4.77 ERA) vs. Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (9-10, 3.44)
Leake allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings in Wednesday’s 7-2 loss to visiting Colorado. The 31-year-old Californian has posted an 8.02 ERA in four starts since being acquired at the trade deadline from Seattle. Crawford is 9-for-28 with two home runs against Leake, who made nine starts for San Francisco in 2015 and owns a 5-2 record and 4.73 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) versus the Giants.
Samardzija was a tough-luck loser on Thursday after limiting the Cubs to one run and two hits over seven innings. The 34-year-old native of Indiana posted a 5.93 ERA in five starts in June but has recorded a stellar 2.00 mark in 10 outings since July 1. Samardzija is 4-5 with a 4.33 ERA in 20 career games (15 starts) versus Arizona but has struggled to contain Marte (6-for-17, one home run) and Jake Lamb (7-for-20, two homers).
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants OF Mike Yastrzemski was held out of the starting lineup Monday due to a bruised left hand but struck out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning.
2. Arizona 3B Eduardo Escobar has hit safely in 11 straight games against the Giants.
3. San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto (elbow) allowed four runs - three earned - over 4 1/3 innings in his first rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento on Monday.