San Francisco @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2011 ) San Diego 1, San Francisco 2

THE STORY: The San Francisco Giants have a better record at the All-Star break this season than they did a year ago when they went on to win the World Series. The Giants open the second half against the San Diego Padres on Thursday with a 52-40 mark, two games better than last year’s record at the break. San Francisco leads Arizona by three games in the National League West as it opens this four-game series. The Padres have lost five straight to fall into last place and trail the Giants by 12 games. San Diego’s growing deficit will probably result in trades of both closer Heath Bell and outfielder Ryan Ludwick prior to the July 31 trading deadline.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, CSN-BA, 4 San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Aaron Harang (7-2, 3.45) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (4-9, 3.87) --

Harang hurled six hitless innings against Los Angeles last Saturday in his first start in 30 days following a foot injury. He struck out six and was removed after 95 pitches. Harang has allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts and has a 1.59 ERA during the stretch. He gave up one run and six hits over six innings against San Francisco on April 5, getting a no-decision. He is 6-6 with a 3.40 ERA in 14 career starts against the Giants.

Bumgarner is 0-1 with a no-decision in two starts against San Diego this season. He allowed eight runs and 14 hits in just nine innings against the Padres, including five runs and nine hits over six innings on July 6. Overall, he’s 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against the Padres. In his last three starts, Bumgarner has struck out 26 and walked three in 20 1/3 innings.

ABOUT THE PADRES (40-52): San Diego scored just one run while being swept in three games by the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to the break. The Padres were twice blanked by 1-0 scores and have been shut out 15 times, most in the majors at the All-Star break since the 1969 Padres were blanked on 18 occasions. The Padres are last in the majors with 48 homers and have scored the second-fewest runs (304). They have struck out a major-league worst 753 times. Ludwick (11) is the only player with more than five homers. Ludwick (55) and Chase Headley (31) are the only Padres with more than 21 RBIs. San Diego is just 19-27 at home.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (52-40): San Francisco (332 runs) has scored the second-fewest runs in the NL and is the only team in the majors without a double-digit home run hitter. All-Stars Pablo Sandoval and Aubrey Huff share the team lead with eight. Sandoval begins the second half with a 21-game hitting streak, fourth-longest in baseball this season. The club record since moving to San Francisco is held by Jack Clark (26 games in 1978). Outfielder Nate Schierholtz has been on a tear, batting .431 with three homers and 11 RBIs over his last 14 games. Schierholtz is batting .293 overall and is second on the Giants with 31 RBIs. Huff has gone 129 at-bats without a homer since hitting three against St. Louis on June 2.

FINAL PITCH: Anemic San Diego scored just two runs in its final 44 innings prior to the All-Star break, both runs coming on solo homers. “We have to do a better job as a group of swinging the bats after the All-Star break,” Padres manager Bud Black said in an understatement.