San Francisco @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2018 ) San Francisco 9, Arizona 6

Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke is enjoying quite the hot streak heading into a contest against a team that he has dominated in his career. Boasting a 6-0 mark with a 1.16 ERA in his last seven starts, Greinke carries a 12-2 career record against the San Francisco Giants (55-54) to the mound on Thursday as the Diamondbacks (60-49) host their National League West rivals in the opener of a four-game series.

A.J. Pollock belted his second homer in three outings in Arizona's 6-0 romp over Texas on Tuesday to bat .313 with six extra-base hits in 45 at-bats since the All-Star break. The 30-year-old, however, has struggled mightily against San Francisco this season, going 3-for-23 with 12 strikeouts. While the Diamondbacks have emerged victorious in four of their last five contests, the Giants extended their winning streak to three games by outlasting San Diego in back-to-back extra-inning tilts. Brandon Crawford singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the 10th inning of a 3-2 triumph on Tuesday to give him 10 hits in his last eight outings.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (3-4, 3.06 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (12-5, 2.96)

Bumgarner suffered his first loss since July 2 on Friday after yielding three runs on six hits in eight innings of a 3-1 setback against Milwaukee. The 29-year-old fell to 0-4 in his last five encounters with Arizona despite allowing just two runs in six innings of a 3-2 loss on June 5. Bumgarner owns a 9-11 career record with a 2.60 ERA versus the Diamondbacks, although he has made himself at home at Chase Field with a 6-3 mark and 2.86 ERA.

Greinke has struck out 48 against just five walks in his last seven starts to lower his ERA by nearly a full run. The 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner enters the series opener on a high after allowing one run on six hits in seven innings of a 6-2 triumph at San Diego on Friday. Greinke permitted one run on three hits in seven strong innings of a 3-1 victory versus San Francisco on April 19.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Francisco OF Andrew McCutchen is 5-for-12 with a homer and two RBIs in his last three games after going 1-for-14 in his previous four.

2. Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt is 18-for-43 with three homers, nine RBIs and eight runs scored versus the Giants this season.

3. San Francisco 3B Evan Longoria is just 5-for-29 against Arizona in 2018.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 2, Giants 1