San Francisco @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2012 ) San Francisco 2, Pittsburgh 13

Gerrit Cole’s rapid ascent from the top pick in the 2011 draft to the major leagues concludes Tuesday when the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander makes his big-league debut at home against defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Cole went 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis, adding another talented arm to an impressive pitching staff. The Pirates had lost five out of six before taking two of three against the Cubs in Chicago.

The Giants come through Pittsburgh in the midst of a nine-game road trip that started with two victories in three contests against Arizona and concludes this weekend at Atlanta. The pair of victories over the Diamondbacks pulled San Francisco right in the mix for the NL West lead. Tim Lincecum looks for his second consecutive victory as he starts the series opener.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), Root Sports (Pittsburgh)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Lincecum (4-5, 4.75 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (NR).

Lincecum snapped a three-start losing streak by beating Toronto on Tuesday, giving up one run on three hits with six strikeouts. The right-hander went 1-4 in May with a 6.37 ERA. Lincecum is 1-2 with a 4.45 ERA in five career starts against Pittsburgh.

Cole features a fastball in the upper 90s and struck out 183 hitters in 200 innings. The 22-year-old did not surrender a run in his final two Triple-A starts (14 innings) and held opponents to a .190 batting average this season. Cole went 14-10 in 38 career minor-league starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Francisco RF Hunter Pence is 12-for-12 in stolen-base attempts, the most without getting caught in the majors this season.

2. Pittsburgh P Charlie Morton threw 96 pitches in a rehab start Saturday for Indianapolis, and could start for the big-league club as soon as Thursday.

3. After going 49-22 from 2008-2010, Lincecum has posted a 27-34 mark.

PREDICTION: Giants 4, Pirates 1