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Giants-Diamondbacks Preview

May 19, 2010 - 7:46 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

San Francisco (22-16) at Arizona (16-24), 9:40 p.m. EDT

Breaking a lengthy skid to one division rival has the San Francisco Giants in position to reclaim the NL West lead.

A trip to face the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks might be enough to help the Giants get back into first place.

Trailing by one-half game in the division, San Francisco looks for a fifth straight win against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

The Giants (22-16) moved closer to first-place San Diego in the West with their first victory over the Padres in eight tries this season, 7-6 in 12 innings on Tuesday night.

After Andres Torres' tying two-run homer in the eighth inning, Matt Downs - 1 for 23 in his previous seven games - finished off a 3-for-5 performance with a two-run double in the 12th, and Eugenio Velez singled him home with what turned about to be a needed insurance run.

"It felt great because we have been battling," Torres said. "It was a great feeling to come through there."

In the opener of a two-game series, the Giants will try to return to the top of the division for the first time since May 6 by beating a team that's dropped nine of 11.

The Diamondbacks (16-24) have been outscored 81-37 while batting .208 over that span. Their bullpen has also posted a 12.15 ERA.

In his first appearance with the team, reliever Saul Rivera gave up five runs in one inning Tuesday in Florida, and Arizona had two hits in an 8-0 loss.

"That's not the way I wanted to start in that situation, but hopefully tomorrow I'll have another chance and it will be better," said Rivera, acquired Monday from Cleveland for cash considerations.

Right-hander Todd Wellemeyer (2-3, 5.25) will try to take advantage of the Diamondbacks' struggles to get his third straight win.

Wellemeyer, who has a 3.32 ERA in his last four appearances, has benefited from 13 runs of support in his two victories this season.

He's 1-3 with a 4.79 ERA in seven games - three starts - against Arizona, earning a win at Chase Field on April 13, 2009, for St. Louis by allowing one run over seven innings.

As it tries to snap its longest skid to the Giants in nearly five years, Arizona will counter with right-hander Ian Kennedy (2-2, 3.58), who is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts this month.

Kennedy has never faced the Giants.

San Francisco won last season's series 13-5 and took six of nine at Chase Field.

As they try to add to that success against the Diamondbacks, the Giants could get a boost with infielder Freddy Sanchez's expected return from left shoulder surgery.

Sanchez, who has yet to play this season, is a career .333 hitter versus Arizona.