San Diego @ San Francisco preview
AT&T Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 22, 2015 ) San Francisco 7, San Diego 1
The San Francisco Giants are fading from the National League playoff race, but they hope their home-field advantage can help them climb back in the mix. The Giants are 38-27 at AT&T Park, where they’ll play 16 of their final 22 contests beginning with a three-game set against the San Diego Padres starting Friday.
The Giants have won 16 of their last 21 at home, but they’ve still slipped 8 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and nine back of the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card. San Diego, which lost 4-3 to Colorado on Thursday to split a four-game series, is beginning a nine-game road trip. Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner looks to snap a nine-start winless streak on the road dating to May 27 against the Los Angeles Angels. San Francisco right-hander Jake Peavy takes on his former team for the second time this season after giving up four runs in four innings and taking the loss at San Diego in his season debut.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Andrew Cashner (5-14, 4.11 ERA) vs. Giants RH Jake Peavy (5-6, 4.41)
Cashner has been the victim of some tough luck – eight of his 14 losses have come in quality starts – and that was the case in his last turn. The 28-year-old Texas native allowed two runs over six innings in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Cashner is 2-4 with a 4.75 ERA in 12 games (six starts) against the Giants and was tagged for six runs (four earned) over six innings in a loss in the first meeting this season.
Peavy has recorded only one quality start in his last six outings, but he has earned the win in two of his last three turns. The 34-year-old gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings to win at Colorado last time out and hasn’t lost at home since the All-Star break. Peavy has made it out of the sixth inning only twice in his last six starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants C/1B Buster Posey is batting .513 during a 10-game hitting streak and is 10-for-20 with two homers versus Cashner.
2. Padres INF Yangervis Solarte is batting .404 during an 11-game hitting streak.
3. San Diego OF Matt Kemp has hit safely in eight straight games and has homered in three of the past four.
PREDICTION: Giants 5, Padres 4