San Francisco @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2015 ) San Francisco 4, Oakland 5

Barry Zito and Tim Hudson were two of the so-called Big Three in the dominant Oakland Athletics' starting rotation of the early 2000s and will be joined by Mark Mulder in a pregame ceremony Sunday. But first, Zito and Hudson will be the starting pitchers Saturday when the San Francisco Giants — Hudson's team for the past two seasons — visit the Athletics in the second contest of a three-game series at a sold-out O.co Coliseum.

“It’ll be cool just to be on the same field with him,” the 40-year-old Hudson, who will retire at season's end, told reporters. “We hung out for a little bit in spring training and caught up a little bit. It’ll be nice to see him in an A’s uniform again. I know it’s something I think would be special. I hope that he’d probably feel the same way. It’s going to be really cool to get back out there and pitch at a place where my career started.” Zito took 2014 off after completing a seven-year, $126-million contract with San Francisco, but the baseball bug bit and the 37-year-old returned to the game, going 8-7 with a 3.46 ERA in 24 games (22 starts) with Triple-A Nashville this season. "I'll be their mortal enemy on Saturday, and then I'll probably be their friend again on Sunday," Zito told reporters. There is little on the line team-wise as the Giants (79-74) are on the verge of being eliminated in the National League West while the Athletics (65-89) own the worst record in the American League.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Hudson (8-8, 4.20 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Barry Zito (0-0, 18.00)

Hudson allowed four hits over six shutout innings in San Francisco's 5-1 victory over Arizona on Sunday and is 2-0 with just two earned runs in his last three starts. The Georgia native has won his past three decisions, the first of which was a 4-3 verdict over Oakland on July 26 when he permitted three runs and seven hits in five innings. Hudson, who was a sixth-round selection in the 1997 draft by Oakland, is 222-132 with a 3.48 ERA in 17 seasons — 92-39, 3.30 in six years with the Athletics.

Zito thought a one-inning relief stint in Omaha on Sept. 7 might have been his last appearance as a professional pitcher, but Oakland general manager Billy Beane called and told him he would join the Athletics for the final two weeks of the regular season. The Las Vegas native and No. 9 overall pick of the 1999 draft by Oakland allowed two runs in one inning of relief in the Athletics' 5-1 loss to Houston on Sunday in his only big league appearance this season. Zito, the 2002 American League Cy Young winner, is 165-143 with a 4.03 ERA in 16 seasons — 102-63, 3.56 in his first seven years with Oakland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Zito (2010, 2012) and Hudson (2014) each won World Series titles with the Giants.

2. CF Billy Burns belted a two-run homer to help the Athletics prevail 5-4 on Friday and leads AL rookies with 146 hits.

3. San Francisco trails the Los Angeles Dodgers by eight games with nine to play.

PREDICTION: Giants 3, Athletics 2