Giants vs D-backs Preview: Brave pitching showdown in Week 66

The Diamondbacks are on fire right now. They've won their last two games and stand at 43-42 on the season. At Chase Field, they're even stronger at 26-17. The Giants? They're struggling badly at 35-50 and just lost twice in a row. San Francisco looks exhausted coming into Thursday. Arizona smells blood in the water. This matchup feels like a mismatch already. The Diamondbacks' home crowd will be loud and ready. The Giants need to find some energy fast or this game could get ugly quick.

Zac Gallen is Arizona's ace and he's starting for the Diamondbacks on Thursday. The right-hander went to college at North Carolina before joining the majors. Here's the thing though—Gallen hasn't been sharp lately. His season record sits at 0-2 with an 8.89 ERA. That's tough for a guy who should be anchoring this rotation. The Giants will see a pitcher searching for answers. San Francisco's probable starter is Trevor McDonald, and we don't have much data on him yet. This is a chance for Gallen to bounce back and prove he can still be dominant.

San Francisco is dealing with a bunch of injuries right now. Willy Adames is out with back spasms. Matt Chapman has an abdominal strain. The bullpen needs Ryan Walker to step up as closer. The Giants are thin and tired heading into Arizona. Losing twice in a row shows they're not playing their best baseball. They need their stars to wake up and hit the ball hard. Luis Arraez and Rafael Devers showed some power in recent games with home runs. San Francisco's pitching staff is built on steady arms like Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. If the Giants can avoid more injuries and find their rhythm, they might make this interesting.