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SAN FRANCISCO -- One of the oddest series in Major League Baseball this season begins a fourth chapter Friday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks visit the San Francisco Giants.Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin (4-6) will open the three-game set against Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija (8-5).In a season when the Giants compiled the fourth-best home record in the National League (26-17), none of that success came against the Diamondbacks.Corbin missed Arizonas four-game sweep at AT&T Park in April, a series that ended with the Giants scoring a total of just three runs in the final three games.The Giants walked off the home field 7-10 on April 21, a day on which the Diamondbacks handed Johnny Cueto his only loss of the season.But San Francisco has since gone 47-23, aided in large part by seven meetings with the Diamondbacks in Arizona. The Giants have gone 6-1 in those games.Samardzija helped in the turnaround in his first outing against the Diamondbacks, May 19, at Arizona. He pitched one of his best games of the season, limiting the home team to one run over eight innings in a 3-1 Giants win.The next day, the Giants got to Corbin for nine hits in 6 1/3 innings in a 5-3 win.Following two four-game sweeps that were totally dominated by the road team -- the Diamondbacks outscored the Giants 20-10 at San Francisco; the Giants outscored the Diamondbacks 14-7 at Arizona -- the clubs played a tight, three-game series last week in Arizona.The Giants prevailed in two of three, with San Francisco winning a 6-4 game before the clubs split one-run affairs.Corbin and Samardzija went head-to-head in the middle game of the series Saturday, with neither getting a decision in a game the Diamondbacks won 6-5.Corbin allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings, Samardzija four runs in 7 1/3.The Diamondbacks won the game against the San Francisco bullpen when Welington Castillo bombed a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.The Giants won three of four since then, including two of three over the Colorado Rockies to begin their current six-game homestand.The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, have lost three of four, including two of three against the San Diego Padres in a duel of the bottom two teams in the NL West.Getting back on the road might not be a bad thing for the Diamondbacks, who have been plagued by poor home attendance of late.The guys didnt let down because it wasnt a big crowd with a lot of emotion, Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said after his teams only win in the San Diego series Tuesday. They created their own emotion in the dugout. Thats baseball.The Giants hope to have center fielder Denard Span back from a neck injury for Fridays series opener.That doesnt mean time off for replacement center fielder Angel Pagan, one of the clubs hottest hitters of late.Weve got a nice (All-Star) break coming up, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said when discussing Pagan before Wednesdays win over the Rockies. With all our injuries, we need his bat in there.Wholesale Shoes China .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Cheap Vapormax Plus . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. http://www.cheapairmaxplusclearance.com/cheap-air-max-plus/air-max-plus-97.html . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Air Max Plus Outlet . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Cheap Air Max Plus Mens . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste.BRUSSELS -- David Silva scored in each half as Spain comfortably outclassed Belgium to beat Europes top-ranked team 2-0 in a friendly on Thursday.Silva fired a low shot under Thibaut Courtois, and doubled Spains lead from the penalty spot after Jordan Lukaku needlessly brought down Victor Vitolo Machin to take his international tally to 26 goals in 104 matches.It was a winning start for new coach Julen Lopetegui, who replaced Vicente del Bosque last month after Spain was eliminated in the round of 16 of Euro 2016.Belgiums new coach, Spaniard Roberto Martinez, was left realizing he has plenty of work to do to mold his talent-packed squad into a team capable of living up to its potential. His lackluster team was booed off the pitch at the end of the match at King Baudouin Stadium after managing only one serious effort on goal, an 83rd-minute effort by Kevin de Bruyne that David de Gea tipped overr the bar.ddddddddddddIt was a difficult match for us, Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen said. In possession, they are the best team in the world.While Silva sparkled for Spain, fellow midfielder De Bruyne failed to make an impression for the Red Devils beyond the late effort saved by De Gea.Martinez gave Eden Hazard the captains armband, but the in-form star also failed to make any headway against Spains well-drilled defense and was forced to spend a lot of time helping out his own back line instead of setting up attacks.Belgium travels to Nicosia to take on Cyprus in World Cup qualifying Group H on Sept. 6. Spain hosts Liechtenstein on Monday in Group G.Alvaro Morata could be in doubt for Spains next match after limping off in the first half holding his right thigh. ' ' '