San Diego @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 26, 2013 ) San Diego 2, San Francisco 4

The San Diego Padres look for their fourth straight victory when they open a three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants on Friday. The Padres swept a three-game series from Los Angeles by outscoring the Dodgers 22-7 and the Giants allowed 21 runs while suffering a three-game road sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers as reigning National League MVP Buster Posey continued to struggle. San Francisco went 12-6 against the Padres last season.

Posey’s average is at .213 and he didn’t play in Thursday’s loss to the Brewers. The San Francisco catcher has just two hits in his last 18 at-bats and has yet to homer this season. Shortstop Brandon Crawford is playing well with a .352 average and brings a career-best 11-game hitting streak into the series. San Diego third baseman Chase Headley will be playing in his second game since returning from a thumb injury. Headley hit 31 homers and led the NL with 115 RBIs last season. Shortstop Everth Cabrera is 8-for-19 with two homers over the last five games.


TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, Fox Sports San Diego, NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Edinson Volquez (0-3, 11.68 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (3-0, 1.77)

Volquez hasn’t made it out of the fourth inning in two of his three starts and opponents are batting .356 against him. He gave up seven runs (six earned) and six hits in 3 1/3 innings while losing to Colorado in his last outing. Volquez is 2-1 with a 5.40 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco. He had a 3.27 ERA while taking two no-decisions against the Giants last season.

Bumgarner has allowed only 13 hits in 20 1/3 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .188 average. He went 3-1 with a 3.68 ERA in five starts against San Diego last season. Overall, Bumgarner is 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts) against the Padres. He has a 3.08 ERA in 42 career starts at AT&T Park.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Francisco has won 12 of its last 16 home games against San Diego.

2. Padres OF Chris Denorfia (.406 in 32 at-bats) and Headley (.308 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 26 at-bats) have hit well against Bumgarner.

3. Giants OF Hunter Pence is 3-for-24 with 12 strikeouts against Volquez.

PREDICTION: Giants 3, Padres 1