San Francisco Giants

Giants need one win over Padres to avoid 100 losses (Sep 29, 2017)

Published Sep. 29, 2017 4:49 a.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants will seek to avoid losing 100 games for the first time since 1985 when they open a three-game home series Friday night against a team that knows a little about triple-digit defeats, the San Diego Padres.

Giants right-hander Chris Stratton (3-4, 4.15 ERA) will duel Padres righty Jordan Lyles (1-4, 7.23 ERA overall) in the series opener.

The Giants (62-97) are assured of last place in the National League West. They need just one win in the series to avoid joining the 1985 club (62-100) as the only in franchise history ever to post triple-digit defeats.

The Padres (70-89) have had five 100-loss editions in their 48-year history, most recently in 1974.

The Giants need two wins in the three remaining games to avoid having a historically bad season series against the Padres.

San Diego has won all five series between the two this season, including 2-1 and 3-1 series wins at San Francisco.

The Giants have never lost all six series to the Padres in a single season.

San Francisco, which has won three straight at home, is coming off a 2-4 trip against the top two teams in the West, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Stratton was on the losing end of a 3-1 decision to the Dodgers and their ace, Clayton Kershaw, on Sunday. It was the rookie's eighth straight start in which he allowed three earned runs or fewer, though he lasted just four innings.

Stratton has faced the Padres just once in his career, and it did not go well. Summoned out of the bullpen on April 29, he gave up four hits and five runs in one-third of an inning. He did not get a decision.

The 27-year-old will kick off a series in which the Giants will honor their longest tenured player, right-hander Matt Cain.

The 104-game winner announced his retirement earlier this week. He will receive a $7.5 million buyout on the $21 million option the club held for next season.

He is scheduled to make his final start Saturday.

"This weekend will definitely be my last time putting on a Giants uniform, and I can't see myself going anywhere else to play with another team," said Cain, who will turn 33 on Sunday. "This organization has meant so much to me and so much to my family. It's something that's dear to my heart. I'm just grateful that it's been a part of my life. I've enjoyed it. I've enjoyed it so much."

Before that, Stratton will be facing a Padres team that has lost four in a row, allowing a total of 36 runs in those drubbings. San Diego was outscored 28-5 in a three-game series against the Dodgers that ended Wednesday.

Lyles did not fare well in two starts against his former team, the Colorado Rockies, his last two times out. He surrendered 11 runs and 13 hits in 10 innings, the Padres taking 16-0 and 4-1 defeats.

The seven-year veteran is 3-2 with a 5.79 ERA in 13 career appearances, including six starts, against the Giants. This season, he has faced San Francisco three times, all in relief, and he hasn't given up any runs or hits while striking out three in 2 1/3 innings.

Padres manager Andy Green hopes his young team can end 2017 on a positive note.

"We've competed all year," he said after the last of the three blowouts against the Dodgers. "This was more a reflection of who we were in the first month of the season. I didn't want to see this team at the last part of the year. For us, it's put that team to bed and play the last three games competitively with the intention of winning baseball games."