Two batters seeking milestone hits will go head-to-head once again Friday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks and host San Francisco Giants continue their four-game series.

The Giants handed the Diamondbacks a costly defeat in the series opener Thursday, riding a game-opening home run by Drew Gilbert and five sharp innings from Landen Roupp to a 6-1 home win.

The loss dropped Arizona 1 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres in their bid for the third wild-card spot in the National League.

Giants slugger Rafael Devers, who had hit home runs in each of his previous three games, failed to make it four in a row in the series opener. He is one shy of reaching 30 for the fifth time in his career.

The list of Giants who have reached the 30-homer milestone since the club opened pitcher-friendly Oracle Park in 2000 is a short one. Only four Giants have achieved the feat over that span -- Barry Bonds five times, Jeff Kent twice, Rich Aurilia once and Willy Adames most recently with 30 last season.

Interestingly, the Giants have scheduled a ceremony to retire Kent's No. 21 jersey in between games of a day/night doubleheader on Saturday. He was enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame last month.

Devers belted 35 homers last season, 20 of them after joining San Francisco via an in-season trade with the Boston Red Sox.

Devers contributed only singles -- a pair of them -- to Thursday's win, which Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters afterward made the coaching staff proud in the aftermath of blowing a six-run, ninth-inning lead Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds.

"You could argue it was the best win of the year," Vitello said. "Just talking about the circumstances from (Wednesday) and what we've struggled with this year of bouncing back appropriately. The team we played today was an excellent team. You wrap it all in one and it at least stacks up there."

Giants pitchers limited the Diamondbacks to six hits. Corbin Carroll didn't have any as he pursues a 60th career triple.

The major-league leader with 16 not only needs just one to become the first active player to reach 60 for a career, but also just one to tie his total from last season that also led the majors.

As Devers approaches distinctions held by Willie Mays in Giants history, Carroll achieved one recently with a milestone home run. He currently has 100 career homers, 59 triples and 143 stolen bases, becoming the fastest to go 100 homers/50 triples/100 steals in Major League Baseball history, bettering a record for fewest games needed held by Mays.

Carroll did it in 606 games, Mays in 673.

"I am so honored to be his manager," Arizona's Torey Lovullo said recently of Carroll. "He's just an absolute coach's, manager's, teammate's dream.

"What he did is amazing. I look up on the big board and I'm like a fan, I read everything that pops up there, too. When he's being compared to Willie Mays, you know you're around somebody really special."

Carroll has never faced right-hander Blade Tidwell (0-0, 3.58 ERA), the Giants' scheduled starter in Friday's rematch. Tidwell, 25, has never pitched against the Diamondbacks in his two-year career.

Arizona left-hander Kohl Drake (0-1, 5.40) is slated to get the start on Friday, his fifth of his career and first versus San Francisco.

--Field Level Media