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Diamondbacks-Giants Preview

Sep 30, 2010 - 6:12 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Arizona (64-94) at San Francisco (90-68), 3:45 p.m. EDT

On the brink of capturing the NL West title, the San Francisco Giants are keeping things simple. They're just focused on themselves and not worrying about the team behind them.

The Giants try to move closer to their first postseason berth in seven years as they go for the sweep over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Thursday's series finale.

San Francisco's magic number was trimmed to three with Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Arizona. The Giants (90-68), winners of three in a row and seven of nine, remained two games ahead of San Diego, which defeated the Cubs 3-1.

The Padres conclude their series with Chicago on Thursday and then head to San Francisco for a season-ending three-game series beginning Friday night that will likely decide the division champion. The Giants haven't won the West since 2003, their last postseason appearance.

"Fortunately for us we're in a position where we don't really have to rely on anybody else to lose or to win for that matter," said left fielder Pat Burrell, who hit a three-run homer Wednesday. "We've just got to take care of our business and come out here and win every night and we'll get in. We've got a chance to sweep (Thursday) and I think everybody in here is on the same page."

Burrell's home run - his 18th since joining the Giants - made a winner out of Tim Lincecum, who allowed a leadoff homer to Stephen Drew but nothing else. The two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner struck out 11.

Manager Bruce Bochy shuffled his starting rotation to push Lincecum up a day so he could be available for a potential one-game playoff Monday or on short rest Sunday. This means rookie Madison Bumgarner (6-6, 3.06 ERA) will be pitching on six days' rest when he takes the ball in the series finale.

Bumgarner, who has been hurt by a lack of run support, finally got some help last Thursday at Wrigley Field. The 21-year-old left-hander allowed seven hits while striking out a season-best nine in seven innings of a 13-0 win.

"I'm trying to keep the same approach each time I go out there," Bumgarner said. "I feel good about going out there and giving us a chance to win."

Bumgarner had given the Giants plenty of opportunities to win in his previous four starts - posting a 1.38 ERA - but he received two total runs of support and went 0-2.

One of those outings came at Arizona, as Bumgarner allowed five hits in 7 1-3 innings in a 2-0, 11-inning win Sept. 6. He is 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in two starts versus the Diamondbacks.

The Giants have won 12 of 15 against the Diamondbacks (64-94) and are trying for their third series sweep of the season.

Arizona, losers of 11 of 13 road games, will turn to rookie Barry Enright (6-6, 3.73).

After going 6-2 with a 2.45 ERA in his first 12 starts, Enright has recorded an 8.27 ERA in losing his last four. He's coming off an encouraging outing, however, as the right-hander yielded two runs and five hits in eight innings in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Dodgers.

"Very solid performance," interim manager Kirk Gibson told the Diamondbacks' official website. "That's kind of what we saw previous to the last three outings."

Enright's losing streak started against the Giants on Sept. 7, when he permitted six runs and nine hits - including homers by Burrell, Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez - in six innings of a 6-3 defeat.

Burrell has driven in at least one run in a season-high five straight games, and seven of his homers with San Francisco have put his team ahead.