Arizona @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2013 ) Arizona 4, San Francisco 2

Buster Posey will miss his third straight contest Friday as the San Francisco Giants continue their four-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, who sit seven games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the National League’s second wild card. Posey was diagnosed with a small fracture in his right ring finger on Thursday, but the Giants catcher is hoping to return next week. “Hopefully in a couple days, it’ll calm down and I can play through it,” Posey said.

Arizona won Thursday's series opener 4-2 when MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt sparked a four-run fifth inning with a two-run double. Manager Kirk Gibson said opponents have been pitching around Goldschmidt, who has 31 home runs and a league-high 106 RBIs. The Diamondbacks are hoping to bolster their offense by next season, and rookie shortstop Chris Owings - who is expected to get his first major-league start during this series - could be part of the solution.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (13-5, 2.96 ERA) vs. Giants RH Yusmeiro Petit (2-0, 3.12)

Corbin has allowed 13 earned runs over a combined 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts, but the 24-year-old denies that he’s suffering from fatigue. “My arm feels great; I pitched this late into the season last year, I feel great," he said. “It just hasn’t been my day the last few starts.” Hunter Pence is 6-for-16 with two homers against Corbin, who is 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in seven career starts against the Giants.

Petit outdueled Corbin on Sunday, when he surrendered two runs while striking out 10 over six innings in the Giants’ 8-2 victory. The 28-year-old is making a case to open next season in San Francisco’s rotation after yielding a total of six runs in his first three starts this season. “It's great to have him doing what he's doing. We want to keep looking at him,” manager Bruce Bochy said.

WALK-OFFS

1. Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval is batting .429 (12-for-28) during his seven-game hitting streak.

2. Arizona closer Brad Ziegler has held NL West opponents scoreless in 12 of 14 road games this season.

3. San Francisco has lost 20 of its last 29 home games.

PREDICTION: Giants 6, Diamondbacks 4