San Diego @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2016 ) San Diego 4, San Francisco 0

Returning home to face one of the doormats of the division was supposed to help the San Francisco Giants' chances of overtaking the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West. Things did not start out as planned for the Giants, who hope to even the series against the visiting San Diego Padres when they play the middle contest of the three-game set Tuesday.

San Francisco, which was coming off a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks in Arizona, mustered a total of five hits — the only one of the extra-base variety by starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija — in a series-opening 4-0 loss and fell four games behind the Dodgers. Hunter Pence singled twice in the setback to improve to 14-for-24 during his six-game hitting streak for the Giants, who own a 1 1/2-game lead over the New York Mets for the first wild-card spot in the NL. San Diego went 3-4 on its seven-game homestand prior to Monday's triumph, which featured a 3-for-4 performance by Hector Sanchez that included a two-run homer. Yangervis Solarte, who is riding a seven-game hitting streak, also drove in two runs in the opener and has collected six RBIs during a three-game streak and 11 over his last nine contests.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Clayton Richard (2-3, 2.78 ERA) vs. Giants RH Albert Suarez (3-3, 4.37)

Richard has been outstanding since joining the rotation, allowing a total of three earned runs over 30 innings in five starts, but has just a 2-2 record to show for his efforts. The 33-year-old native of Indiana is coming off his second scoreless outing in three turns, a victory over Colorado on Thursday in which he gave up six hits and walked two while recording eight strikeouts in seven frames. Richard is 6-5 with a 3.87 ERA in 15 career games (12 starts) against San Francisco, including two scoreless relief appearances in May while with the Chicago Cubs.

Suarez is 0-2 in three starts since returning to the rotation despite allowing three runs or fewer in each outing. The 26-year-old Venezuelan failed to work more than five innings in those turns, however, and yielded three runs and six hits — two homers — over five frames in a no-decision at Colorado on Wednesday. Suarez made his only career appearance against the Padres out of the bullpen on July 16, giving up two hits and walking three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings at San Diego.

WALK-OFFS

1. Padres CF Travis Jankowski is not with the team as he returned to his home in Pennsylvania to attend to a family issue.

2. San Francisco RHP Derek Law, who has been out since Aug. 28 with a strained right elbow, is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday.

3. San Diego C Christian Bethancourt likely is done for the season due to a strained oblique while RHP Tyson Ross also could be finished thanks to shoulder soreness that has kept him sidelined since his only appearance of the season on Opening Day.

PREDICTION: Padres 5, Giants 1