(SportsNetwork.com) - Tim Hudson looks to secure his first victory of the season on Saturday afternoon when the San Francisco Giants play the middle contest of a three-game set with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Hudson is 0-2 through four starts despite a solid 3.91 earned run average. The veteran righty logged seven innings of work last Saturday in Colorado, allowing three runs on eight hits. He did not walk a batter, but did allow a pair of homers in a game his club managed to win 5-4.
Hudson, 39, is 13-7 with a 3.85 ERA in 25 previous meetings with the Angels.
The Angels give their starting assignment this afternoon to Hector Santiago, who escaped with a no-decision on Sunday versus Texas despite some control problems.
Santiago limited his damage to a pair of runs, one of those earned, over 5 1/3 innings as he allowed four hits while also walking six and hitting a batter with the bases loaded. He fanned five while getting denied a third straight winning start.
The 27-year-old southpaw is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA through four starts and will face the Giants for the first time.
The Giants took last night's opener 3-2 on Joe Panik's walk-off RBI single. His pinch-hit heroics plated Gregor Blanco as he dumped a belt-high fastball into center field.
"He's a good hitter," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "He's a great weapon to have off the bench at that point."
The late win overshadowed another strong outing from rookie starter Chris Heston, who gave the Giants 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball to help the club win for the sixth time in nine games.
C.J. Wilson also allowed one run in seven innings for the Angels, who had won two straight and five of seven. They played a second game in a row without slugger Albert Pujols, who is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.
The Angels have won six of their past eight versus the Giants, a span that includes a three-game sweep in San Francisco from June 15-17, 2009. They also beat the Giants in seven games to win the 2002 World Series.