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Giants Go For Sweep Against D-Backs

(Sports Network) - The San Francisco Giants target their fifth straight win this afternoon when they try and complete a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park.

The Giants got back to .500 on Saturday, as Barry Zito pitched four-hit ball over 7 1/3 scoreless innings and Barry Bonds slugged his 739th career home run in San Francisco's 1-0 win.

Bonds finished 2-for-3 and is now just 17 home runs away from breaking Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755.

Zito (2-2) struck out five and walked three to earn his second consecutive win by shutout. Armando Benitez pitched a scoreless ninth to notch his fourth save of the season.

Rich Aurilia went 1-for-4, tying a career-high by hitting safely in 14 consecutive games for the Giants, who are 8-8 after starting the season with just one win in their first seven games.

Edgar Gonzalez (1-2) pitched seven full innings, scattering five hits and one run, fanning seven and not walking a batter. He also singled in two at-bats.

Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Chris Snyder and Tony Clark all had base hits for the Diamondbacks, losers in three straight and five of six. Orlando Hudson worked a walk, and has reached base in each of Arizona's 19 games this season.

Heading to the hill today for the Giants will be 22-year-old right-hander Matt Cain, who has yet to win in three starts this season, despite pitching to a sparkling 1.80 earned run average. Cain was brilliant on Tuesday against the Colorado Rockies, as he scattered two hits over seven scoreless innings. However, he did not factor in the decision of his team's 5-3 loss.

Cain has faced the Diamondbacks six times in his young career and is 2-2 against them with a 4.21 ERA.

Arizona will counter with Yusmeiro Petit, who will be recalled from Triple-A Tuscon prior to the contest to make his first start of the season. The right- hander pitched in 15 games (one start) for the Florida Marlins in 2006 and was 1-1 with a 9.57 ERA.

Petit faced the Giants twice out of the pen a year ago and pitched to an 18.00 ERA without recording a decision in four frames.

The Giants, who last swept Arizona last August, won 11 of 19 last year against the Diamondbacks, including a 6-3 mark at home. San Francisco is 38-20 versus Arizona since the start of the 2004 campaign.


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