Arizona @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2011 ) Arizona 4, Oakland 5

THE STORY: Joe Saunders always pitched well against the Oakland Athletics when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. The host Athletics will be hoping things are different when they see the left-hander in an Arizona Diamondbacks uniform. Saunders brings an 11-4 career mark into Saturday’s second game of the three-game series and has a 3.50 ERA in 17 starts against the Athletics. Last season, Saunders went 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA in three starts against Oakland. The Athletics won Friday’s opening game, 5-4, to hand Arizona its fifth loss in six games and drop the Diamondbacks three behind San Francisco in the National League West.

TV: 9:05 p.m. ET, FSAZ (Arizona), CSCA (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Joe Saunders (4-7, 4.14) vs. Athletics RH Josh Outman (3-2, 3.10). Saunders is 5-1 with a 2.45 ERA in six career starts in Oakland’s ballpark. Saunders received a no-decision in his last outing despite holding Detroit to one run and four hits in seven innings. Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki is just 2-for-28 against Saunders. Outman is making his eighth start - his best outing was blanking Kansas City on four hits over seven innings June 15. He gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings while losing to Philadelphia in his last start. He has faced Arizona once, back in 2009 when he picked up the victory while allowing just one earned run and four hits over 7 2/3 innings.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (37-46): Hideki Matsui had a two-run double Friday and stole a base for the first time since late in the 2007 season. Rich Harden had a successful six-inning start to collect the win. Harden’s return combined with the upcoming activation of Brandon McCarthy (shoulder) has prompted Oakland manager Bob Melvin to tentatively go with a six-man rotation. McCarthy is slated to come off the disabled list to start Monday’s game. Josh Willingham (Achilles’ tendon) is expected back Sunday. Willingham has been sidelined since June 17 and has a team-high 10 homers. The Athletics have hit just 43 homers through 83 games. The franchise low is 94 in 1968.

ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS (44-39): Second baseman Kelly Johnson homered for the second time in three games Friday and has 14. Closer J.J. Putz was placed on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis. Putz (21 saves) had been highly ineffective earlier this week against Cleveland, allowing Orlando Cabrera’s game-winning homer one night and blowing the save the next by surrendering Carlos Santana’s two-run blast. David Hernandez will handle closing duties. Sam Demel (shoulder) was activated from the disabled list, and third baseman Sean Burroughs was recalled from Triple-A Reno to replace recently released Melvin Mora.

FINAL PITCH: “We’ve got to be ready pitch one, inning one. Like I said, a little sluggish and it seems like the last few games, it’s kind of been like that, kind of slow to start so I think [we need] just some intensity early.” – Johnson on Arizona’s struggles over the last half-dozen games.