Arizona @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 12, 2014 ) Arizona 2, San Francisco 0

The Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants have taken turns shutting each other out in the first two games of the series. Both teams will try to get the starting pitcher some support when the Giants host the Diamondbacks in the rubber match on Sunday. Tim Lincecum paced San Francisco to a 5-0 win in the series opener but the Giants could not touch Wade Miley en route to falling the fourth time in six games on Saturday.

San Francisco owns only two series wins over the last month, and one of those came against the Diamondbacks. Arizona has won four of its last six and is trying to get to the All-Star break out of last place in the National League West, where it trails the Colorado Rockies by one-half game. The Giants are battling for first place with the Los Angeles Dodgers but are trying not to lose any more ground before the break after squandering a big lead in the last month.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Vidal Nuno (2-5, 4.98 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (9-7, 3.36)

Nuno is getting the nod in place of rookie Chase Anderson, who is being pushed back to monitor his innings. Nuno made his debut with Arizona after being acquired from the New York Yankees and tossed seven scoreless innings against Miami on Tuesday. The 26-year-old struck out seven and yielded only three hits in his first NL turn.

Bumgarner is battling through a rough patch and has allowed a total of 16 runs and 25 hits in 18 innings over his last three starts. The former first-round pick was reached for 10 hits in seven innings to lose at Oakland on Tuesday. Bumgarner’s tough stretch began after he dominated the Diamondbacks on June 22, allowing an unearned run on two hits in eight innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Giants will celebrate Angel Pagan Bobblehead Day on Sunday without the 33-year-old, who is busy rehabbing a back injury and could return shortly after the break.

2. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt has hit safely in 11 straight games and reached base safely in 32 consecutive contests.

3. San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt is 3-for-5 with three walks in the series.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 4, Giants 2