San Francisco @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 2, 2014 ) Arizona 3, San Francisco 5

The San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2010 and 2012 but failed to make the playoffs in each of the following seasons. They hope to continue the first part of that trend and begin the first step Monday when they open the season at the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants have one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball and much will ride on the performance of two 27-year-olds - catcher Buster Posey, who signed a nine-year extension last season, and corner infielder Pablo Sandoval, who’s beginning the final year of his three-year, $17.15-million contract.

The Diamondbacks were hoping their season-opening two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers last week in Australia would give them a head start on the competition, but instead they were swept and enter this four-game series two games back of the National League West lead. The news got worse when it was announced Tuesday that 16-game winner Patrick Corbin will need season-ending elbow surgery and it appears set-up man David Hernandez has a similar injury. Hernandez had a 2.50 ERA with 25 holds in 68 1/3 innings in 2012 before taking a step back last season and finishing with a 4.48 ERA in 62 1/3 innings.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (2013: 13-9, 2.77 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Brandon McCarthy (2013: 5-11, 4.53)

Bumgarner is coming off arguably his best season and has topped 200 innings in each of the last three years. He didn’t allow any runs in his first 21 Cactus League innings before he was touched for three solo home runs in the fifth inning of Wednesday’s final exhibition appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers. Bumgarner’s out-pitch remains his slider, but he has gained better command of his low-90s fastball and that’s one of the reasons many expect him to take his performance to another level in 2014.

After a disappointing 2013 season, McCarthy had a strong spring, making his final appearance Wednesday and allowing three runs on six hits in six innings of a 14-4 win against the Chicago Cubs. He finished Cactus League play with a 2-0 mark and 2.70 ERA, striking out four batters for every one walk he issued. Arizona is hoping McCarty can at least duplicate his two seasons with the Oakland Athletics, when he combined for a 17-15 record and kept his ERA in the low-3s both seasons.

WALK-OFFS

1. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt hit .264 with the bases empty last season and .348 with men on.

2. Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson underwent knee surgery Tuesday, but returned to the dugout Thursday.

3. Giants RHP Tim Lincecum left his final exhibition start with a sore knee Friday night after being hit by a comebacker off the bat of Oakland's Daric Barton.

PREDICTION: Giants 4, Diamondbacks 2