San Francisco @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 7, 2016 ) San Francisco 0, Chi. Cubs 1

The San Francisco Giants seek their third consecutive superb pitching performance from their starter when they visit the Chicago Cubs on Saturday for Game 2 of their National League Division Series. San Francisco rode a tremendous effort by Madison Bumgarner against the New York Mets to victory in the wild-card game before receiving another stellar outing from Johnny Cueto, who recorded 10 strikeouts and allowed only three hits in the series opener but took the loss after serving up Javier Baez's solo home run in the eighth inning.

Former Cub Jeff Samardzija draws the task of keeping the Giants from falling into an 0-2 hole in the series as he makes his 106th career appearance — and 42nd start — at Wrigley Field. The Cubs will counter with Kyle Hendricks, who essentially replaced Samardzija in their rotation in 2014 after being acquired from Texas two years earlier. Baez finished with two of Chicago's three hits and has hit safely in five of his last seven contests, registering three multi-hit performances in that span. The Cubs would love to find a way to squeeze Chris Coghlan into the lineup Saturday as the veteran outfielder is 4-for-10 with two home runs and five RBIs against Samardzija in his career.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (12-11, 3.81 ERA) vs. Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13)

Samardzija pitched well down the stretch, allowing only three runs in 19 2/3 innings over his last three starts, but had just a 1-1 record to show for his efforts as San Francisco scored a total of four runs in those outings. The 31-year-old native of Indiana, who spent the first 6 1/2 years of his major league career with Chicago, escaped with a no-decision in his only turn against his former team this season on Sept. 1 after yielding three runs on five hits and three walks in four frames. Samardzija made his lone postseason appearance with the Cubs in Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS, allowing one run and two hits in one inning of relief against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hendricks is coming off the best season of his brief career, as he won seven of his final eight decisions and led the majors in ERA. The 26-year-old Californian lost his only start against the Giants this year despite giving up just one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings at San Francisco on May 22. Hendricks made the first two playoff starts of his career in 2015 but was unable to last five frames in either, finishing without a decision after surrendering five runs and nine hits — four homers — over 8 2/3 innings in outings at St. Louis in the NLDS and against the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series.

WALK-OFFS

1. Bumgarner, who threw 119 pitches in his complete-game shutout against the Mets on Wednesday, will start Game 3 for the Giants on Monday while LHP Matt Moore will get the call if Game 4 is necessary.

2. Chicago's David Ross became the first catcher to register a pickoff and a caught stealing in the same playoff game since Gabby Hartnett of the Cubs accomplished the feat against Detroit in the 1935 World Series.

3. The odds for a return to the NLCS are in the Cubs' favor as the team winning Game 1 of a best-of-five showdown has gone to capture the series 70 percent (84-for-120) of the time.

PREDICTION: Cubs 7, Giants 3