The Diamondbacks (28-24) and Giants (22-31) open a three-game set at Oracle Park, and the vibes could not be more lopsided. Arizona has won 4 of its last 5 and just took a series from these same Giants in Phoenix the week before last, including a 12-2 thrashing on May 18. San Francisco, meanwhile, has lost more than it has won across the last 5 and is sitting 9 games under .500.
The headline number on Merrill Kelly is the ugly 5.71 ERA, but that doesn't tell the real story. Kelly came back from the IL slowly and got rocked in his first handful of outings, then flipped the switch — including the first complete game of his career at Coors Field on May 3, a 100-pitch, 4-hit gem in a 9-1 win. He has been the Kelly Arizona expected over his last 3 starts, and he draws a Giants lineup that's missing a ton of firepower.
- Day-To-DayA.J. Vukovich CF — no
- Day-To-DayDerek Law RP — no
- Day-To-DaySpencer Giesting SP
- Day-To-DayKyle Amendt RP — Amendt was invited to major-league spring training by the Diamondbacks, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
- 10-Day-ILLourdes Gurriel Jr. LF — Gurriel's hamstring injury is believed to be fairly minor, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. Manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday the hope is Gurriel will be able to return from the injured list when first eligible.
- 10-Day-ILJames McCann C — Manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that McCann (quad) will likely be sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
- 10-Day-ILCarlos Santana 1B — Santana suffered a setback with his right adductor strain Sunday while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
- 60-Day-ILA.J. Puk RP — Puk (elbow) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Tuesday, Alex D'Agostino of SI.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJung Hoo Lee RF — Lee (back) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILHeliot Ramos LF — Ramos received a PRP injection in his injured right quadriceps and will be shut down for one week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
- 15-Day-ILLogan Webb SP — Manager Tony Vitello said Sunday that Webb (knee) is "a good option" to return from the 15-day injured list to make a start during the Giants' upcoming three-game series versus the Diamondbacks in San Francisco, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
- 60-Day-ILReiver Sanmartin RP — Sanmartin (hip) tossed a scoreless inning in Triple-A Sacramento's 11-6 win over Sugar Land on Tuesday.
- 60-Day-ILJason Foley RP — Foley (shoulder) earned a hold in Triple-A Sacramento's 6-5 loss to Round Rock on Wednesday, allowing one hit in a scoreless inning.
- 60-Day-ILJared Oliva CF — The Giants transferred Oliva (wrist) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
- 60-Day-ILRowan Wick RP — The Giants placed Wick (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
- 60-Day-ILHayden Birdsong RP — Birdsong underwent successful UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
That injury list is the actual problem for San Francisco. Jung Hoo Lee is out with a back issue, Heliot Ramos just got a PRP shot in his quad and is shut down for a week, and Logan Webb is still on the 15-day IL — though manager Tony Vitello said Sunday that Webb is "a good option" to start at some point in this series. Until Webb is back, Landen Roupp is carrying the rotation. The 27-year-old has been the best story on the staff, sporting a 3.27 ERA and pounding the zone enough to keep the Giants in games they probably shouldn't win.
Arizona's offense is the lurking variable here. Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll have both been mashing through the D-backs' 11-4 run since May 8, and even without Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Carlos Santana, and Pavin Smith, the lineup has carried the team. The one caveat — and the reason this line is closer than it looks — is that Arizona has been distinctly worse on the road (10-14 entering this trip).
Pinnacle has the Giants as small home favorites at -132 with the total a tight 7.5, which feels about right given Roupp's form and the gap between Kelly's ERA and his recent results. If you trust the Diamondbacks' hot stretch and the Giants' walking-wounded lineup, +122 on Arizona is the live number. If you trust Roupp and a San Francisco team that finally got a couple of wins to stop the bleeding, the home side is the play. Either way, the Snakes have the swagger right now.