(Sports Network) - Two pitchers looking to bounce back from dreadful outings will collide this evening at AT&T Park in the finale of a three-game set between the San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians.
The Indians, who will try to avoid a sweep, will turn to Fausto Carmona, who is coming off a poor effort against Colorado. In less than five innings of work Carmona surrendered seven runs on nine hits and also walked two batters.
It was the sixth loss in the last seven starts for the right-hander, who is now 4-9 with an atrocious 5.98 earned run average on the year.
Most of Carmona's problems this season have come away from home, as the crafty veteran is just 2-5 with a 6.31 earned run average in eight outings.
The Giants will also send a pitcher to the mound looking to forget his last start, and that is Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner had one of the worst performances of all-time, as the young hurler surrendered eight runs on nine hits and only recorded one out before leaving the game.
It was the third loss in the last four starts for Bumgarner and it also dropped his mark on the season to just 3-9. Surprisingly, Bumgarner is still in search of his first home victory. In seven starts at AT&T Park the southpaw is 0-5 with a poor 5.82 earned run average.
Yesterday, Miguel Tejada scored on a bases-loaded balk in the seventh inning as the Giants took a 1-0 win over the Indians.
The miscue by Tony Sipp made a winner out of Matt Cain (7-4) and lifted the Giants to their fourth straight win.
Cain gave up just four hits and a walk with six strikeouts in seven-plus innings. Justin Masterson (5-6) was saddled with the loss as he was charged with the unearned run and four hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
"That's the way it goes sometimes," Cain said. "You have to find ways to get runs across and do whatever you can. Us, as a staff, have to keep that lead when we get that chance."
Michael Brantley went 3-for-4 for the Indians, who have lost four of their last five.
"We didn't lose the game because of a balk," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "We lost the game because of errors and walks and we left guys on base."
San Francisco won two of three encounters with Cleveland from June 24-26, 2008, while the Indians recorded a three-game sweep as the visitor back in the 2005 campaign.