Giants-Cubs Preview
(AP) - Tim Hudson has enjoyed a strong start to his tenure in San Francisco.He's also been very good against the Chicago Cubs in recent years.
The right-hander hopes to continue his success on both fronts while trying to help the Giants avoid a fifth consecutive home defeat to the Cubs on Tuesday night.
Since allowing a season-high four runs in 7 1-3 innings of a 5-4, 10-inning home victory over Colorado on April 13, Hudson (4-2, 2.13 ERA) is 2-2 with a 2.01 ERA in six outings. He allowed a run and five hits and was removed following an 82-minute rain delay before the start of the fourth inning Thursday at Colorado. The game was suspended in the sixth with the score tied at 2.
Hudson, who turns 39 in July, went 2-0 despite a 4.70 ERA in his first four starts against the Cubs (19-30), but has yielded a run in each of the last three versus Chicago for a 1.33 ERA while going 1-1 during that span for Atlanta.
The former Oakland pitcher is 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA in four starts at home in his return to northern California pitching for the Bay Area's other team.
However, Chicago has held the Giants (32-19) to seven runs during a four-game winning streak at AT&T Park - it's longest current run of success on the road against any opponent. Jeff Samardzija, who entered Monday's meeting with a major-league best 1.46 ERA, allowed four runs in seven innings but earned his first victory in 17 starts during the 8-4 victory that snapped San Francisco's season-high four-game home winning streak.
"It's just one game," reliever Javier Lopez told the Giants' official website. "I don't think guys are super worried about it."
Ex-Giant Nate Schierholtz hit his first home run of the season as Chicago improved to 3-2 on a 10-game trip. Teammate Luis Valbuena added two hits, and is batting .405 (15 for 37) with five RBIs in his last 10 games.
"There were big contributions by everybody in the ballgame," manager Rick Renteria told the Cubs' official website.
Emilio Bonifacio, who also had two hits after going 0 for 9 in the previous three contests, is batting .381 (8 for 21) with two doubles versus Hudson.
Just activated off the disabled list from a strained left hamstring, Chicago's Justin Ruggiano is batting .229 in 14 games this season, but could be in the lineup for going 4 for 7 against Hudson.
Chicago's Jake Arrieta (1-0, 2.33) has allowed a run and four hits in each of his last two starts. He yielded a homer and struck out seven in six innings of a 5-1 win at San Diego on Thursday.
In his only previous appearance against the Giants in 2010, the right-hander gave up a homer to Pablo Sandoval and two other hits over seven-plus innings of a 4-1 victory at San Francisco for Baltimore.
Sandoval hit a two-run home run and had three RBIs on Monday.
A .357 hitter in 15 career games against the Cubs at AT&T Park, Sandoval is batting .378 (17 for 45) with four homers and 12 RBIs during a 12-game home hitting streak.
Related Stories