Arizona @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 2, 2011 ) Arizona 4, Oakland 2

THE STORY: The Arizona Diamondbacks haven’t had back-to-back wins since a four-game winning streak ended on June 24. The Diamondbacks have another chance for consecutive victories when they complete a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Arizona won for just the second time in seven games when it beat Oakland 4-2 on Saturday. Chris Young drove in all four runs and was a triple shy of a cycle. The Diamondbacks are 1-1 on a 10-game road trip that lasts until the All-Star Game. Oakland has lost seven of 10 games and has fallen seven games behind first-place Texas in the American League West.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSAZ, CSCA.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Ian Kennedy (8-2, 3.01) vs. Athletics LH Gio Gonzalez (7-5, 2.38)

Kennedy hasn’t lost since May 31 and has pitched seven innings or more in each of his last five outings. He took a no-decision in his last outing when he gave up four runs and eight hits in eight innings against Cleveland. Opposing hitters are batting just .227 against him. Kennedy has struck out 31 and walked just five in 30 innings over his past four starts. He has never pitched against Oakland.

Gonzalez is coming off a superb outing in which he blanked Florida on one hit over eight innings. He struck out nine and walked three. Gonzalez is 2-0 over his last three starts, and has allowed just three runs and 10 hits with 27 strikeouts in 21 innings during the stretch. Oakland has scored just nine runs in Gonzalez’s five losses. He has never faced Arizona.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (37-47): Josh Willingham (Achilles’ tendon) won’t come off the disabled list Sunday as expected. Willingham didn’t feel the injury was responding well enough during a Triple-A rehab assignment so his return has been postponed. Willingham leads the Athletics with 10 homers. Scott Sizemore had two hits in each of the first two games of the series. Left-handed hitting David DeJesus started against left-hander Joe Saunders and struck out twice in three at-bats against Saunders. DeJesus is hitting just .117 against lefties. Catcher Kurt Suzuki will be rested Sunday. He went hitless in four at-bats Saturday and is batting just .215.

ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS (45-39): Young had three hits and a homer in Saturday’s game. He leads the Diamondbacks with 16 homers. David Hernandez was superb in his first save opportunity since closer J.J. Putz (elbow) went on the disabled list. Hernandez retired the side in order and caught Adam Rosales looking at a knee-buckling slider for the final out. The save was Hernandez’s third of the season. Sunday is Arizona’s final interleague contest of the season and Wily Mo Pena has spent the past few days catching fly balls and working on his throwing in case the Diamondbacks want to use him as an outfielder. Pena has four homers in 30 at-bats while being utilized as a designated hitter and pinch hitter.

FINAL PITCH: Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said after Saturday’s game that he had sensed Young was ready to emerge after recent strong batting-cage sessions. “He’s just learned to slow it down, let the ball come to him and use his quick hands,” Gibson said. “He’s not a big, big guy … but he’s very powerful, got good bat speed and is very strong.”