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The Arizona Diamondbacks shocked a lot of people in 2011 with a stellar young team that came together as a cohesive unit far ahead of schedule. The D-backs ultimately caught fire and ran away with the National League West. Although they fell short in the postseason against the Milwaukee Brewers, they head into Friday's regular season opener determined to repeat their past success and prove that their rise to prominence in the National League was far from a fluke.
The Diamondbacks' 2012 Opening Day will be against their visiting division rivals the San Francisco Giants, who are trying to bounce back after a disappointing season to follow up their 2010 World Series victory. Arizona will be looking to squash their opponents right out of the gate and they should be more than up to the task.
This year's Giants will look a bit different from the last time the D-backs faced off against them. The outfield will be comprised of Angel Pagan, Melky Cabrera and Aubrey Huff, while Brandon Belt will be getting another chance as the Opening Day first baseman. Emmanuel Burriss will start at second base while Freddy Sanchez opens the season on the disabled list. And phenom catcher and former Rookie of the Year Buster Poset will be returning from an ankle injury that cut his 2011 season in half.
Here are the game times and pitching matchups for the three-game series.
Friday's game will begin at 4:10 p.m. PT and will air on FOX Sports Arizona, while the radio broadcast will be on KTAR and KBMB. Arizona's ace Ian Kennedy will take on two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
On Saturday, first pitch will be at 1:05 p.m. PT. The game will be one of four that is televised nationally on FOX, so there is a chance the game will be blacked out locally. The radio broadcast will be on KTAR and KBMB. Daniel Hudson will go up against Madison Bumgarner.
The finale on Sunday will begin at 1:10 p.m. PT and will be back on FOX Sports Arizona. The radio broadcast will be on KTAR and KBMB. Josh Collmenter will take the mound for the D-backs, while history's richest right-hander Matt Cain takes the ball for the Giants.
For all news and information regarding the Arizona Diamondbacks, please visit AZ Snake Pit. For updates and perspective on the San Francisco Giants, head on over to McCovey Chronicles.
