Giants Return To Arlington For First Time Since 2010

(AP) -- Nick Martinez is scheduled to start Friday night, though Texas Rangers fans are more eagerly anticipating who could follow him.

That's because the Rangers are close to obtaining Cole Hamels, who will start for them this weekend if he comes over from Philadelphia.

The trade speculation has made Martinez's outing a bit of an afterthought as the Rangers welcome the San FranciscoGiants to Arlington for the first time since the 2010 World Series for this three-game set.

Texas (49-52) is close to finalizing a deal with Philadelphia to acquire Hamels and reliever Jake Diekman for left-hander Matt Harrison and a package of top prospects. No deal was announced Thursday night, though players for both teams were talking as if it was already finished with Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus saying the addition of Hamels will be a "real plus."

Hamels, who hasn't pitched since his 13-strikeout, no-hitter Saturday over the Chicago Cubs, is scheduled to start Friday for the Phillies. Harrison is slated to pitch in the middle game of this series.

When asked if Martinez was a certainty to start Friday night, manager Jeff Bannister said, "As we sit right now."

There's good reason for Texas fans to look forward to Saturday - if that's when Hamels does make his debut - since Martinez (5-6, 4.08 ERA) has struggled in two starts since getting recalled from Triple-A Round Rock, going 0-1 with an 11.00 ERA.

The Rangers have dropped the last six starts by the right-hander, who is 0-4 with a 7.01 ERA in that span. Martinez has never faced the Giants.

San Francisco (56-45) no doubt has fond memories of Arlington, where it won two of three games in the 2010 World Series to begin its current run of three championships in five years.

Madison Bumgarner (11-5, 3.16) began developing his reputation as a clutch postseason pitcher with eight innings of three-hit ball in Game 4 of that series in a 4-0 road victory. That's his only career start against Texas.

The left-hander has posted a 2.04 ERA in winning three straight outings after limiting Oakland to one run over seven innings in Saturday's 2-1 victory.

He'll eventually be joined in the rotation by Mike Leake, who was acquired from Cincinnati for a pair of prospects late Thursday.

The Giants expect two of their top hitters to return Friday. Joe Panik has missed the last two games with back stiffness and Buster Posey sat out Wednesday's 5-0 victory over Milwaukee for rest.

"They've been going hard since the All-Star break," manager Bruce Bochy said. "I'm trying to keep these guys as fresh as I can."

Bochy's club has won 13 of 15 as it starts a 10-game trip. The Giants are an NL-best 9-3 in interleague games.

Posey is fourth in the majors with a .413 average in interleague play. Matt Duffy is tied for sixth at .400 and tied for fourth with 14 RBIs.

Josh Hamilton delivered a game-ending RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning in Thursday's 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees as Texas earned a four-game split. He had a three-run homer in the first.

Hamilton, Andrus and Mitch Moreland are the only current Rangers hitters who faced Bumgarner in the World Series, combining to go 1 for 8.

Texas won two of three at San Francisco when these teams met in 2012. The Giants have captured 16 of 25 regular-season meetings between the teams that played baseball's first interleague game June 12, 1997, in Arlington.

Updated July 31, 2015