MLB Game Preview - San Diego at San Francisco

Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Left-hander Madison Bumgarner is scheduled to make the first home start since his infamous dirt bike accident when the San Francisco Giants open a four-game series against the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.

Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin is slated to get the ball for the Padres to open a series of the bottom two teams in the National League West.

The Padres won two of three against the Giants when they met last week in San Diego.

That series included Bumgarner's return from the disabled list Saturday night following a nearly three-month absence that resulted from his off-day mishap in Colorado.

The staff ace allowed four hits in seven innings against the Padres, but two hits went for home runs that produced three runs.

Bumgarner (0-3, 3.18 ERA) left a 3-3 game that night, getting a no-decision that kept him winless in five starts this season.

He's 10-8 with a 3.38 ERA in 30 career games (29 starts) against the Padres.

The Giants' fortunes have taken a turn for the better since leaving San Diego on Sunday.

First, they won two of three from the American League Central-leading Cleveland Indians, with one victory coming in walk-off fashion and the other a product of a three-run rally in the eighth inning Wednesday.

"We haven't had a lot of special moments; you have to savor them when you have them," Giants manager Bruce Bochy gushed over Wednesday's win. "Great game today. These last two games (were) the kind of magic we used to have, so it's good we recreated that."

About an hour after the game, while many of the players were on their way home, MLB.com announced that one of the Giants' fan favorites, third baseman Pablo Sandoval, had agreed to a minor league deal with the club after being released by the Boston Red Sox.

Sandoval reportedly will play at Triple-A Sacramento.

The Giants could use a boost from Bumgarner in another area. Following a 530-game sellout streak that was the longest in National League history, San Francisco sold out only one of their three games in the Cleveland series.

The Padres flew into San Francisco on Wednesday night after hitting rock bottom in a three-game flame-out in Colorado. An 18-4 drubbing on Wednesday completed a blowout series in which the Padres were outscored 36-17.

"You learn what you can from these moments," San Diego manager Andy Green said. "We flush these games. We move on and we show up ready to win a baseball game (Thursday)."

Chacin opposed Bumgarner in San Diego and experienced the same result as his counterpart. He also received a no-decision after allowing three runs.

The 29-year-old has gone 3-2 in his last six road starts, a stretch that began with a 12-4 win at San Francisco in April.

Chacin (8-7, 4.33) is 7-6 with a 3.40 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) against the Giants.