Giants go after third consecutive win in opener with Marlins

The San Francisco Giants take aim at a third straight win on Thursday when they begin a four-game series with the Miami Marlins at AT&T Park.

San Francisco had lost three in a row before taking the final two in their three-game series with the San Diego Padres. In Wednesday's rubber match, pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco came through with a go-ahead two-run triple as San Francisco scored three times in the seventh inning to record a 4-2 victory.

Marco Scutaro added an RBI single during San Francisco's eighth-inning rally while finishing 2-for-4, with Hunter Pence also collecting two hits along with a run scored.

Getting the call for the Giants on Thursday will be reliever turned starter Chad Gaudin, who is 2-1 this season with a 2.83 ERA. Gaudin did not get a decision on Saturday in Atlanta, but did not pitch well, as he allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings of a 6-5 loss.

Gaudin, who was 4-2 with a 4.54 ERA last season with Miami, has never faced the Marlins, who will counter with winless right-hander Tom Koehler.

Koehler, who will be making his first-ever start against the Giants, fell to 0-5 on Saturday with a horrific showing against St. Louis that saw him surrender nine runs and eight hits in just 4 2/3 innings to raise his ERA to 5.09.

"You can't take any pitches off," Koehler said. "Just because you get ahead (in the count) doesn't mean you can come back and lay something over there for the next pitch, because they're going to punch it. So you have to execute every pitch."

Since joining the Marlins' rotation in mid-May, he has posted a 5.62 ERA and a 9.18 ERA in three June starts.

Miami comes into this series sporting the worst record in baseball at 22-49 and comes into Thursday's opener riding a two-game losing streak after dropping a 3-1 decision to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Jose Fernandez (4-4) had limited the D'backs to three hits over seven innings, but walked a pair in the eighth before being replaced with one out. Mike Dunn replaced him and promptly served up a three-run home run to Cody Ross.

"I was just trying to make good pitches and keep the ball down," said Fernandez, who had retired 12 in a row before giving up the two walks. "Just going with whatever (Jeff) Mathis wanted to go with, just trying to do my job."

The Marlins claimed five of their seven meetings with San Francisco last year.