The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to further distance themselves from the San Francisco Giants in the NL West standings when the two clubs resume a three-game series Saturday from Chase Field.
Arizona struck first with Friday's 3-1 win thanks to Paul Goldschmidt's three- run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning. Goldschmidt, who went down swinging his previous at-bat, leads the National League with 57 RBI and owns 15 homers this season.
"I just tried to not let the previous at-bats affect my last at-bat. Whether the game is on the line, or whatever the situation is, you have to do your job," Goldschmidt said afterward.
Goldschmidt has an RBI in seven straight games (16 total), the longest streak by a Diamondbacks player since Chad Tracy in 2005.
Gerardo Parra had two hits and Patrick Corbin remained unbeaten (9-0) on the season even though he didn't figure into the decision. Corbin tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball, struck out four and did not walk a batter. Brad Ziegler took the win thanks to Goldschmidt's heroics and Heath Bell worked around a hit in the ninth for his 11th save.
"It was a low-scoring game with not too many runs," Corbin said. "I felt bad giving up a run there, but Goldy came through as he has all year. I'm just glad he's on my team and he put a good swing on it there."
The Diamondbacks have won five of seven games and are 3 1/2 games ahead of the Giants in the NL West standings with Colorado 2 1/2 games off the pace. They will send Trevor Cahill to the mound Saturday in hopes of him ending his personal winless streak. Cahill is 0-2 in his past three starts and was last in action Monday in a 7-1 loss at St. Louis.
Cahill was reached for five runs and nine hits in five innings to fall to 3-6 in 12 starts this season with a 3.27 earned run average. In eight career starts against the Giants, Cahill is 4-2 with a 2.52 ERA. He did not record a decision in a 2-1 loss to the Giants on April 30, tossing eight innings and allowing only a run and four hits.
San Francisco opened a nine-game road trip on Friday and dropped to 10-18 as the visitor with the loss. Matt Cain had a strong start wasted and yielded only a run and four hits in seven innings for the no-decision.
"Cain was outstanding, he did a terrific job," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Jeremy Affeldt surrendered Goldschmidt's home run to take the loss.
Gregor Blanco knocked in the lone run for the Giants, who have lost two straight and seven of 10 games. The defending World Series champion Giants have scored three runs over their last three games and will also visit Pittsburgh and Atlanta on the trek.
San Francisco placed outfielder Angel Pagan on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a nagging left hamstring strain. Pagan hasn't played since May 25 versus Colorado and the club recalled outfielder-infielder Juan Perez from Triple-A Fresno in a corresponding move.
Toeing the rubber for the Giants Saturday will be Madison Bumgarner, who is 0-3 in his past four starts and hasn't won since May 11 versus Atlanta. The left-hander has permitted 17 runs during his winless streak and previously took the mound in Saturday's 7-1 loss at St. Louis, where he allowed five runs and six hits in six innings.
Bumgarner, who dropped to 4-4 in 12 starts with a 3.46 ERA, pitched well in a 2-1 win at Arizona on April 30 as he hurled seven scoreless innings. He has no record and a 0.63 ERA in two starts against the D'backs this season and is 3-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 career games (10 starts) in this series.
The Giants swept a three-game set in their last trip to Arizona on April 29- May 1 and have won seven of their last nine on the road in this set.
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