SAN FRANCISCO — Two teams that looked a bit more like they hoped to look all season Thursday night will go head-to-head for the second straight game when the San Diego Padres take on the San Francisco Giants on Friday.
Eric Hosmer in the lineup together for just the ninth time this season http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/quincy-williams-ii-jersey , the Giants had their 1-2 pitching combination of Madison Bumgarner and Mark Melancon going strong in a 3-0 victory in the opener of a four-game series.

The Giants’ third straight victory was more than just a streak-extender, catcher Buster Posey insisted afterward.

“Bum is such a presence,” he said of the left-handed ace. “Even when he’s not pitching that night, he’s lurking. The other team knows he’s there. It’s a nice advantage for us to have.”

Bumgarner recorded his first win of the season Thursday in the same game in which Melancon notched his first save of the year.

The duo, who were viewed as a potential high-powered tag-team act when Melancon was signed as a free agent before the start of the 2017 season, worked the win/save thing for the first time as teammates.

Melancon was pressed into ninth-inning duties because of the broken finger sustained by closer Hunter Strickland earlier in the week.

If all goes well, the Giants might be afforded the luxury of moving Strickland back to a set-up role when he returns in August, presuming Melancon can continue to display the stuff that overpowered the top of the San Diego order on just 13 pitches to complete Thursday’s shutout.

Among the guys Melancon set down were Myers, who grounded out, and Hosmer, who struck out.

They combined to go 0-for-7 in their new setting — atop the San Diego order.

Myers Ryquell Armstead Jersey , who suffered arm and oblique injuries in spring training and the first month of the season, was playing Thursday for the first time since April 28.

“They’re our guys,” Padres manager Andy Green assured. “Every single team has a couple guys you look to rely on offensively to anchor you. They’re our guys. They are the two guys that we expect to anchor us, and when you’re missing part of that anchor it can be tough.”

The anchor looked a bit rusty against Bumgarner, who worked eight three-hit innings, but they will get a shot at Giants right-hander Chris Stratton (8-4, 4.22 ERA) in the second game of the series.

With Myers out of the lineup, Stratton threw seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit, in a 7-0 win over the Padres in April. It improved his career numbers to 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA against them in three games, including two starts.

Stratton enters the game on a nice roll Will Harris Jersey , having lost just once in his last seven starts dating back to May 9.

He will be opposed by Padres left-hander Clayton Richard (6-6, 4.31), who has won three in a row, allowing just six earned runs in 20 innings.

But the 34-year-old has struggled in his career against the Giants, going 6-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 22 games, including 19 starts.

He has pitched 13 times (10 starts) in San Francisco, going 4-4 with a 5.75 ERA.

Among those who have teed off on Richard are Posey, who has gone 12-for-32 (.375) with two home runs, and Andrew McCutchen, who also has homered twice in just 12 at-bats.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Four Houston Astros starting pitchers have won at least eight games this season. They are Gerrit Cole http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-austin-bryant-jersey , Charlie Morton, Justin Verlander and Lance McCullers.

The lone exception is left-hander Dallas Keuchel, the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner. Keuchel, who pitches Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, is 3-8 with a 3.71 ERA in 14 starts this season.

Keuchel has allowed 90 hits, including a dozen home runs, and walked 32 while striking out 81 in 82 1/3 innings. He has a 3-1 career record against the Royals in six starts. He had a no-decision against them last year, allowing two hits and one run in seven innings.

If Keuchel is the weak link in the Astros’ rotation, that is a fearsome five.

“The Gerrit Cole addition was great and Verlander was a great addition to them last year,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “The thing that is so important is they make these deals in hopes they can get them over the hump with a World Series, and it did.

“They’ve got a fantastic rotation. They’ve got a fantastic group of young talented Rashan Gary Jersey , athletic players. They’re a good team. They’re a tough match.”

The Astros (46-25) reminded the Royals just how good they are with a 7-3 victory on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. Evan Gattis, who drove in five Houston runs on Tuesday and Wednesday in Oakland, hit a sixth-inning grand slam.

The Royals (22-47) took a hit besides in the loss column when starting right fielder Jorge Soler left with a fractured first left metatarsal in the sixth inning. He stumbled out of the blocks while grounding out. It is the same foot Soler fouled a ball off last Friday in Oakland and then did not play again until Tuesday.

Yost said he did not know if the injuries are related. He said Soler would be out for an extended period. The Royals will make a roster move Saturday with Soler, who was on crutches in the clubhouse after the loss, headed for the disabled list.

Both clubs made roster moves Friday. Astros left-hander Reymin Guduan was placed on the paternity list. They recalled infielder Tyler White from Triple-A Fresno, where he was hitting .338 with a 1.023 OPS in 62 games.

The Royals purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Brandon Maurer from Triple-A Omaha. In his past seven outings, he ran off a scoreless streak of 12 2/3 innings while striking out 10 and holding opponents to a .163 batting average with one extra-base hit.

The Royals optioned rookie right-hander Jason Adam to Omaha. Adam had allowed six home runs, including a grand slam Wednesday, in 15 1/3 innings.

Left-hander Danny Duffy, who is 3-6 with a 3.28 ERA in 14 starts, is the Royals’ probable starter Saturday. He is coming off his best start of the season http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-darnell-savage-jr.-jersey , tossing seven scoreless innings last Saturday in Oakland, allowing three hits and striking out a career high 10.

Duffy is 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in eight outings, four of them starts, against the Astros. He owns a 2.08 ERA in his last two starts against the Astros.

The Royals will attempt to snap a four-game losing streak. They have dropped 10 of their last 11 and are 10-24 at home. They’ve scored just 26 runs in 13 games in June, when they are hitting .183.

The Astros have the best road record (27-11) in the majors. They have won their last eight road games, three shy of the club record set last year. They have logged at least a dozen hits in five straight games, the second longest streak in franchise history and trailing only a seven-game streak set in 2007.