The Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants open up an important National League series Friday night at AT&T Park

Milwaukee Brewers at San Francisco Giants

Milwaukee ends its 11-game road trip in the Bay Area and fell to 4-4 through eight games due to a 4-0 loss in Arizona last night.  “You get disappointed when you think you are playing pretty good and you come out and get shut out,” said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke.  The Brewers took two of three against the Giants at Miller Park earlier this year and have posted a 14-10 mark against NL West opponents this year.  Offensively, the club leads the league with 112 home runs, but isn’t likely to add to that total in tonight’s contest.  Milwaukee doesn’t have a single player that has left the yard against the Giants’ scheduled starter.  The club is 5-3 after getting shutout this year and 16-14 over the last three years.

Brewers starting pitcher Shaun Marcum is 8-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 20 starts this season and picked up his first victory since June 12 last time out.  In that particular start, he gave up two runs and four hits in five frames in a 4-3 road win over the Rockies.  The right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 10 road starts this year, as opponents are hitting just .208 against him.  In two career appearances versus the Giants, Marcum is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA and will be making his first lifetime start at AT&T Park tonight.

San Francisco has tallied 30 wins at home this year, trailing Philadelphia (34) and Milwaukee (33) in that particular category.  The Giants have not fared to well against the Brewers when playing at home recently, dropping six of the last nine meetings.  The club did get the chance to enjoy an off day Thursday and has won nine of its last 12 games overall.  Offensively, infielder Pablo Sandoval should be back in the lineup, sitting out the team’s last game with a sore right quad.  He has reached base in 27 of his last 28 games.  San Francisco is 7-5 following a day off this year and 42-22 at night.

Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain is 8-5 with a 2.99 ERA in 20 starts this season and has led the club to consecutive wins.  The right-hander has given up just three runs (one earned) and eight hits in 12 innings over that span, as San Francisco has proven victorious over the Mets and Padres.  He will be toeing the rubber for the 10th time at home, entering with a solid 5-2 record and 2.54 ERA, limiting opponents to a .205 batting average.  Cain has faced the Brewers six times in his career, producing a losing 2-4 mark and 4.73 ERA, including a 6-0 road loss on May 29.  He gave up five runs and a season-high 11 runs in that contest.

Bettors will be interested in backing the Giants due to their 38-14 record in Cain’s last 52 home starts, while the Brewers are 1-4 in Marcum’s last five outings as an underdog