(Sports Network) - Former first-round draft choice Matt Cain tries to match teammate Jonathan Sanchez's Friday night pitching gem tonight when the San Francisco Giants face the San Diego Padres in game three of a four-game National League West Division series at AT&T Park.

On Friday night, Sanchez (3-8) became the first San Francisco pitcher to throw a no-hitter since 1976, taking a perfect game into the eighth inning and shutting down the Padres, 8-0.

The lefty, who had a career-high 11 strikeouts, became the first major leaguer to throw a no-hitter this season. Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs threw the last one on September 14, 2008 against Houston.

The last Giants no-hitter came September 29, 1976 by John Montefusco at Atlanta. Sanchez's was the 17th no-hitter in franchise history. He became the first Giants lefty to toss one since Mike McComick accomplished the feat in a five-inning start at Philadelphia, June 12, 1959.

Cain, the 25th overall pick in the 2002 draft, had won seven straight decisions this season before finally dropping a 5-1 verdict at Milwaukee to fall to 9-2 overall on June 26.

He bounced back for win No. 10 on the season on July 6, allowing five hits and an earned run in 6 2/3 innings of a 5-4 downing of Florida.

He downed the Padres on April 21 for his second win of the season and gave up nine hits and two runs in six innings of a game the Giants won, 8-3. Lifetime against the Padres, Cain is 4-5 in 16 starts with a 2.92 earned run average.

Right-hander Tim Stauffer, a 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, makes his first start of 2009 for San Diego.

The Portland, Maine native was the fourth overall pick of the 2003 draft and reached the majors with the Padres for 15 appearances in 2005.

He was back for one game in 2006 and two more in 2007 and has racked up an overall mark of 4-7 with a 6.37 earned run average in 94 2/3 innings.

Stauffer is 1-0 in two career starts against the Giants with a 3.86 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.

He is 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA in his last four starts for Triple-A Portland.

The Padres have taken six of the 10 meetings between these NL West foes so far this season, but all of those wins came in San Diego. The Giants swept a brief two-game set from the Padres at AT&T Park back in April and have won eight in a row as the host in this series.