The San Francisco Giants hope to make up some more ground game sweep of the rival San Diego Padres this evening at Petco Park.
The Giants were able to pull within six games of the Diamondbacks for the NL West lead with Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Padres coupled with Arizona's loss at Colorado. It was a night of firsts for the defending World Series champions, who saw starter Eric Surkamp earn his first major league win with five innings of three-run ball.
"This is everything you dream of, especially when you're trying to catch Arizona," Surkamp said on the club's official site. "It's awesome to think that they believe in you."
Six relievers combined to allow just one run after Surkamp departed, with Ramon Ramirez notching his fourth save by getting the final out of the game for San Francisco, which has won four of six games and will begin a six-game homestand versus the Dodgers and Padres after this set.
First baseman Brett Pill homered in his first at-bat, becoming the first Giant to do so since Will "The Thrill" Clark on April 8, 1986. Carlos Beltran helped Surkamp in the win with three hits and three RBI while shaking off a stomach ailment that sidelined him Monday.
The Giants continued a stretch of 25 straight games against NL West opponents and will send Matt Cain to the mound Wednesday. Cain is 2-0 in his last four starts and has thrown eight innings of two-run ball in back-to-back appearances against the Astros and Diamondbacks. He struck out four in a 6-2 win over Arizona on Friday and is 11-9 with a 2.85 ERA in 29 starts. The righty hasn't pitched well in his career against the Padres, going 5-10 with a 3.51 ERA in 26 starts.
Cain will make the 200th start of his career.
San Diego is in the midst of 30 straight games against division foes and lost for the 11th time in 12 tries last night. Wade LeBlanc was reached for four runs in five innings to absorb the loss and didn't receive much support at the plate. Nick Hundley homered in defeat and is batting .391 with four homers and nine runs batted in since coming off of the DL on Aug. 12.
"We're playing hard, the results just aren't happening in the win column," Padres manager Bud Black said.
Chris Denorfia finished 2-for-2 with a run scored for the Padres.
Aaron Harang will look to salvage this series for the Friars when he toes the rubber tonight. Harang has dropped consecutive starts since going 3-0 in his previous four trips to the mound, and is coming off Friday's 3-0 loss to Colorado in which he gave up three runs -- two earned -- in seven innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.
Harang, a right-hander, is still a decent 12-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 24 starts and 6-6 in 15 outings lifetime against the Giants.
The Padres will begin a seven-game road swing at Arizona and San Francisco following Wednesday's series finale.
San Francisco has won nine of 14 meetings with San Diego this season, including six of eight encounters at Petco Park.
