San Francisco @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2016 ) Arizona 2, San Francisco 4

The San Francisco Giants hope to begin snapping out of an extended slump with their next six games against the bottom two teams in the National League West. The Giants, who are a demoralizing 17-32 since the All-Star break, send ace Madison Bumgarner to the mound Friday when they visit the fourth-place Arizona Diamondbacks to begin a three-game set.

Bumgarner goes for his 100th career win as San Francisco tries to recover from coughing up a lead after eight innings for the sixth time in 66 tries with a 6-5 loss at Colorado on Wednesday. “We need every opportunity, every win we can get,” Giants reliever Joe Nathan told reporters. “When we get to the ninth, we’ve got to close those deals off and get the win.” San Francisco, which hosts last-place San Diego after leaving Arizona, is 2-5 in September to fall into a three-way battle for two NL wild-card spots with St. Louis and the New York Mets. The Diamondbacks were not much of a spoiler earlier in the week while getting swept by the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, but Chris Owings is 12-for-24 during a six-game hitting streak.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (14-8, 2.51 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Braden Shipley (3-3, 4.94)

Bumgarner won his 99th game last time out against the Chicago Cubs, allowing two runs over six innings, and has four victories in his past five starts. The 27-year-old entered Thursday third in the majors with 217 strikeouts after notching 10 last Saturday. Paul Goldschmidt is 13-for-44 with a pair of homers versus Bumgarner, who is 9-7 with a 2.40 ERA (1-1, 1.13 in 2016) lifetime against Arizona.

Shipley beat Colorado last time out while permitting four runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, ending a three-game winless stretch. The 24-year-old Oregon native has given up 10 homers in his first eight major league starts, yielding two or fewer runs in four of them – but just once in the last four. Shipley faces San Francisco for the first time and is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Diamondbacks swept four from San Francisco to begin the season series, but has dropped 10 of 12 since.

2. The Giants have not won back-to-back road games since June 30 at Oakland and July 1 at Arizona.

3. Arizona C Welington Castillo (right trap tightness) was a late scratch in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss at Los Angeles and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Giants 6, Diamondbacks 2