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Giants-Diamondbacks Preview

Sep 8, 2010 - 6:00 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (77-61) at Arizona (56-82), 9:40 p.m. EDT

The San Francisco Giants have had little trouble winning lately. The same can't be said for Barry Zito.

Looking for his first win in almost two months, the left-hander tries to help the Giants to a fifth consecutive victory overall and a series sweep of the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Wednesday night.

Tim Lincecum struck out 11 and San Francisco hit three homers en route to a 6-3 win over Arizona on Tuesday. Winners in six of their last seven, the Giants (78-61) remained one game behind first-place San Diego in the NL West. They also moved within one game of wild-card leader Atlanta.

San Francisco is 10-4 in the season series with Arizona, including six straight wins at Chase Field.

The Giants haven't lost since Zito (8-11, 4.18 ERA) allowed four runs, four hits and four walks in four innings of a 4-2 loss at Los Angeles on Friday.

Zito has not gone past the fourth inning in any of his last four starts and is 0-7 with a 5.79 ERA in 10 outings since beating the New York Mets on July 16, but manager Bruce Bochy saw promise in his latest effort.

"He really, I thought, had a better outing, even though it didn't show," Bochy told the Giants' official website. "He should feel better about it."

Zito did not feel good about his last start versus Arizona. He gave up a season-high nine runs and five walks in 3 2-3 innings of an 11-3 home loss Aug. 28, falling to 3-7 with a 5.33 ERA in 13 career starts against the Diamondbacks.

Arizona's scheduled starter Daniel Hudson (5-2, 3.03) outpitched Zito in that contest by allowing two runs and striking out six in seven innings to win his first appearance against the Giants.

Hudson is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 21 strikeouts over his last three starts. The right-hander gave up two runs and struck out six in six innings of a 4-3 win over Houston on Friday.

"He's got a little deception in his delivery obviously with his arm; he whips the ball around," Astros first baseman Brett Wallace told the Diamondbacks' official website. "He moves his heater around, and he's got good action on it."

Aubrey Huff, 0 for 3 with three walks against Hudson, hit a two-run homer Tuesday for the Giants. Huff is batting .448 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in seven games at Arizona in 2010.

San Francisco rookie Buster Posey is 17 for 33 against the Diamondbacks this season after going 2 for 4 on Tuesday.

Chris Young hit a two-run homer for Arizona (56-83), which has lost four in a row after winning four straight to open a nine-game homestand. Despite the home run, Young is 10 for 49 with 17 strikeouts against the Giants this season.

It's uncertain if Mark Reynolds will be back in the Diamondbacks' lineup after he missed Tuesday's game with a bruised right hand. The slugging third baseman has a team-leading 32 homers but is 0 for 12 in his last four games, and 6 for 41 versus San Francisco in 2010.