• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Giants put fading playoff chances on the line vs. Padres

Sep 12, 2011 - 2:40 PM (Sports Network) - The San Francisco Giants will try to keep their faint playoff hopes alive when they welcome the NL West-rival San Diego Padres to town this evening for the opener of a three-game series at AT&T Park.

The Giants are 8 1/2 games behind Arizona for the division lead with 16 to play and were able to salvage the finale of a three-game series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers with Sunday's 8-1 victory. Jeff Keppinger, Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa each had two runs batted in and Pablo Sandoval finished 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI for San Francisco, which won for the fifth time in 13 tries.

Madison Bumgarner gave up only one run on three hits in five innings while fanning eight and walking three for the win.

"He had great command today and made some great pitches," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "His pitch count just got up there a little bit."

Eric Surkamp will make his third career start for the Giants tonight and he's 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two appearances. He did not record a decision in a 2-1 win over Houston on Aug. 27, then posted his first major league win in Tuesday's 6-4 triumph at San Diego. The lefty allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.

San Diego avoided a four-game sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks with a 7-6 victory on Sunday at Chase Field, as Nick Hundley finished 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored to lead the way.

Jesus Guzman and James Darnell both knocked in two runs for the Padres, who are playing out the string and won for only the third in their previous 17 contests. The Padres totaled eight runs in the first three games of the set.

Padres starter Wade LeBlanc gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings to get the win and also a pair of hits at the plate.

"The first five innings, that's what I'm looking for ... throwing strikes, changing speeds," LeBlanc said on the club's site. "Those are the things that I need to do to be successful."

Heath Bell struck out two in the ninth for his 37th save and helped prevent Arizona from extending its home winning streak to 16 games.

Aaron Harang will take the mound for San Diego tonight and is 13-5 with a 3.74 ERA in 25 starts this season. Harang ended a two-start losing streak in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Giants and tossed seven innings of one-run ball. The righty is 4-2 in his previous six decisions and 7-6 with a 3.03 ERA in 16 career starts against San Francisco.

Harang is 6-1 with a lofty 4.47 ERA in 10 road starts this season.

San Francisco is 9-6 against San Diego this season and has won three of the past four meetings between the teams.