San Diego @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 6, 2011 ) San Francisco 8, San Diego 4
THE STORY: Runs figure to be scarce when the San Francisco Giants host the San Diego Padres in a four-game series starting Monday. San Diego ranks 29th in runs scored, San Francisco 26th. But the Giants boast dominant starting pitching and that has them in first place in the NL West, 2 1/2 games ahead of Arizona and 10 in front of the Padres. These teams have only played twice this season, but will face each other in eight of the next 11 games.
TV: 5:05 p.m., Ch4 (San Diego), CSN-BA
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Lincecum (6-6, 3.04 ERA) vs. Padres LH Clayton Richard (4-9, 4.09 ERA).
Lincecum is back in fine form after a shaky stretch. He’s allowed three earned runs and 13 hits over his last three starts covering 20 innings. Ryan Ludwick, who leads the Padres in homers and RBIs, is just 2-for-17 with nine strikeouts against Lincecum. Richard is coming off two solid outings and lifetime he’s 4-2 with a 3.46 ERA against the Giants. But Aubrey Huff is 7-for-19 (.368) against him.
ABOUT THE GIANTS (48-37): The Giants, coming off a 4-3 road trip, finished 10-5 in interleague play and are starting a seven-game homestand before the All-Star break. Pablo Sandoval has provided a nice spark since returning from his quad injury on June 14. He’s hit in 14 straight games and has seven homers in 165 at-bats. However, he reportedly limped onto the team bus Sunday after fouling balls off both knees in one at-bat.
ABOUT THE PADRES (38-47): San Diego had won straight before dropping two of three in Seattle over the weekend. The anemic Padres have been shut out 13 times this season, and Dustin Moseley has been unfortunate enough to have been the starting pitcher in five of them. San Diego averages 3.37 runs per game. The Padres have hustled for 14 infield hits over their last nine games, Cameron Maybin accounting for eight of those. Third baseman Chase Headley has hit safely in nine of his past 10 games, with six multi-hit games.
FINAL PITCH: The teams split an earlier two-game series in San Diego, with Lincecum striking out 13 in the Giants’ 8-4 win. ... Giants infielder Mike Fontenot (strained groin), who’s rehabbing at Triple-A Fresno, might not return before the All-Star break.