SAN FRANCISCO -- For the past three games, the Arizona Diamondbacks watched as San Francisco found every way to produce during the September stretch run.
The D-backs head home from a rugged road trip having lost six straight games, including a 6-2 defeat to the Giants on Thursday in which a couple of lucky hits went against them.
"They have a lot of things going their way," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "That being said, they went through their own struggles when they weren't hitting."
Arizona was outscored 37-21 during its 2-8 road trip, stymied by Jake Peavy in the latest disappointing result.
San Francisco, which leads the NL wild-card standings, pulled within two games of the idle Dodgers a day before a key weekend series against the NL West leaders at AT&T Park.
Hunter Pence put the Giants ahead on a quirky RBI single in the first. Pence literally threw his bat at the ball, which hit the front corner of second base and skipped into shallow right-center. Pence also drew a bases-loaded walk in his team's season-best ninth straight home win.
Jake Lamb homered against Santiago Casilla in the ninth, but Arizona matched its season-high losing streak.
"If you're not hitting, you have to play better, and we didn't do that," center fielder A.J. Pollock said. "They had a couple of hits I'm still scratching my head how they got. But they are believing in it right now and have a lot of positive vibes going."
Buster Posey had a more traditional RBI single among his three hits, helping the Giants extend their season-best home winning streak to nine. It's their longest unbeaten run at AT&T Park since nine in a row in May 2011.
Peavy (5-4) walked off to a standing ovation in the sixth after allowing Mark Trumbo's RBI double. The right-hander is 5-1 with a 1.12 ERA over his last six starts, finally getting ample run support. Peavy allowed six hits over 5 2/3 innings, and he has been an important addition since his trade from the Red Sox on July 26.
After Pence's earlier bloop, Brandon Crawford hit a single that barely fell in down the left-field line on which Alfredo Marte made an effort to catch but stumbled over the bullpen mound and lost his glove. Crawford advanced on the error.
The Giants swept Arizona at home for the first time since May 2011. San Francisco plays all of its remaining games against division opponents.
Randall Delgado (3-4) was tagged for three runs and seven hits in four innings, making just his second start since April 10. He spent most of the season as a reliever.
Arizona's starting pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs in 14 straight games. Delgado wouldn't let a couple of strange hits affect him.
"That's part of the game," he said. "You're going to lose your mind if you let that stuff get to you."
The Giants have outscored opponents 58-14 during their home winning streak.
Diamondbacks: The D-backs were hopeful rookie OF David Peralta could return Friday from a back injury but Gibson indicated it could be a few more days. Peralta, who hasn't played since Sept. 5, is scheduled for an MRI exam Friday.
Giants: OF-1B Michael Morse took dry swings as he works back from a left oblique strain that has forced him to miss the last nine games. "He's about 50 percent right now," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's, my guess, two to three days away."
Diamondbacks: LHP Vidal Nuno (0-5, 3.16) tries again for his first victory since joining Arizona from the New York Yankees, when the D-backs open a six-game homestand by hosting the San Diego Padres. Nuno's last win came June 27 against the Red Sox. He has allowed two runs or fewer in his last five starts.
Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (17-9, 3.02) pitches the opener against the Dodgers, looking to build on his already career-best wins. One strikeout will give Bumgarner 200 in a season for the first time in his career.
Commissioner Bud Selig stopped at AT&T Park and toured the new edible garden in center field as part of his farewell ballpark tour. He said he is 18 ballparks into his schedule, with four or five more upcoming stops on the calendar and more in the playoffs.
