Right-hander Chris Stratton pitched a career-best eight shutout innings, and Steven Duggar hit a two-run home run in the second Monday night, delivering the San Francisco Giants a 2-0 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series.

A third straight win allowed the Giants to gain ground both in the National League West and NL wild-card races. They now trail the first-place Diamondbacks by seven games in the West, and they are 7 1/2 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the chase for the second wild-card spot.

Facing the Diamondbacks for the fourth time this season, Stratton (9-7) avenged a loss earlier this month in which he was bombed for six runs and 10 hits in three innings.

This time, he held the Diamondbacks to five hits, including singles to the first two batters he faced and a two-out triple by Jon Jay in the fifth.

Stratton escaped both jams to complete eight innings for the first time in his three-year career. He struck out six and did not walk a batter, retiring the last 10 batters he faced.

Left-hander Tony Watson issued a one-out walk to Paul Goldschmidt in the ninth, then handed the ball to righty Hunter Strickland with two outs and the baserunner still on first.

Strickland pushed Goldschmidt into scoring position by walking Steven Souza Jr. before getting Nick Ahmed to fly out to right on a full count. Strickland posted his 14th save of the season while handing the Diamondbacks a third loss in their past four games.

Duggar, who also delivered the Giants' big hit with a two-run triple Sunday in a 3-1 win over the Texas Rangers, followed a one-out single by Brandon Crawford in the second inning Monday with a two-out shot over the left field fence.

It was the rookie's second home run of the season.

Jay finished three of the game's nine hits, as the Diamondbacks out-hit the Giants 5-4.

Arizona starter Patrick Corbin (10-5) worked seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out nine.

The win was the Giants' 10th in 17 games against the Diamondbacks this year, clinching the season series.

--Field Level Media