D-backs look to keep winning against Giants

Published Apr. 7, 2012 1:57 a.m. ET

foxsports

Arizona's late-season success against the San Francisco Giants in 2011 has carried over to this year.

The Diamondbacks look for a seventh consecutive victory over the Giants on Saturday at Chase Field.

Arizona began defense of its NL West title with a 5-4 win over San Francisco on Friday. Chris Young and Paul Goldschmidt each hit first-inning homers off Tim Lincecum, and Ryan Roberts' two-run double snapped a sixth-inning as the Diamondbacks won their fifth straight at home over the Giants.

San Francisco won seven of the first eight meetings with Arizona in 2011, but dropped eight of the final 10 to finish eight games behind the Diamondbacks. Friday's loss marked the first time in five games at Chase Field that the Giants have scored more than two runs.

"It's good to see everybody pick up where they left off," said Roberts, hitting .320 with seven RBIs in his last six games versus San Francisco.

Goldschmidt, who hit eight homers and drove in 26 runs in 48 regular-season games for the Diamondbacks last season, is 4 for 11 with the homer and three RBIs in four against the Giants at home.

Coming off a successful first full season in the majors, Daniel Hudson takes the mound for the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

The right-hander went 7-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 2010 after Arizona acquired him from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline. He followed that by going 16-12 with a 3.49 ERA in 33 starts for the Diamondbacks in 2011.

Though Hudson posted a 5.18 ERA while losing his final four starts, including a 9-4 loss at Milwaukee in Game 2 of the NL Division series, he went 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA this spring.

"He's just more mature," manager Kirk Gibson told the Diamondbacks' official website. "He understands what he has to do, and he's more able to control his emotions. We'll see if he takes that into the season."

Hudson is 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA versus San Francisco.

After the Diamondbacks tagged Lincecum for five runs in 5 1-3 innings, the Giants hand the ball to Madison Bumgarner. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts versus Arizona - four at Chase Field.

Bumgarner finished 13-13 with a 3.21 ERA in 33 starts last season. He lost his first six decisions and went 3-9 with a 4.06 ERA in his first 15 starts, but was 10-4 with a 2.62 ERA in his last 18. He's eager to build on that finish, which included six wins in his last seven outings.

"I think everyone wants to incorporate all their pitches and get a good feel for everything," Bumgarner told the Giants' official website. "I feel like I'm close to where I need to be."

After missing the final four months of last season with a broken leg, Giants catcher Buster Posey was 2 for 4 in the opener. He's batting .380 with 13 RBIs in 19 career games versus Arizona.

"Buster looked fine," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He is not showing any ill effects of what happened, so that is behind us."

Melky Cabrera went 2 for 4 with a two-run homer in his San Francisco debut.