Giants' Starting Pitching Now A Major Concern?

Usually, the starting pitching takes the backseat on the list of concerns for the Giants. Now, it has taken the very front seat, and the Giants’ bread and butter is no longer a guarantee anymore. Due to this, the bullpen has had to take on a bigger role, and signs of fatigue are occurring.

Even with the likes of Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Ryan Vogelsong all getting their starts, the starters have pitched just 36 innings over the last seven days. Generally, that number would near 50. But nothing has been general lately as no Giants’ starter has pitched more than seven innings since last Tuesday. Matt Cain pitched 7.1 innings against the Astros, and that has been all.

On the bright side, the bullpen hasn’t collapsed in this time of over usage. They have totaled a 2.79 ERA over the past seven days, but note that all of their relievers have combined to pitch 29 innings. That’s only seven less than the starters. In comparison, the Rockies’ bullpen ranks second in baseball with 27.2 innings pitched, and they don’t let their starters surpass the 75 pitch plateau, while the Giants don’t put any restrictions on their starters.  Any time a team is mentioned with the Rockies, the likelihood of it being positive is very slim. The case is no different in this situation.

However, the September roster expansions will provide manager Bruce Bochy with a few more alternatives should this dreadful streak continue. Those alternatives, though, aren’t nearly as reliable as say Sergio Romo or Javier Lopez. Jean Machi, the 30 year-old career minor leaguer, owns a 10.80 ERA in his first three appearances since being called up. Dan Otero has pitched two scoreless innings since getting a promotion. Granted, his ERA still isn’t respectable at 6.97, but he has smoothed out the flaws in his motion. But none of the call ups can undertake such a massive role. And using such a strategy wouldn’t be wise on the Giants part.

Unfortunately, Bruce Bochy has had no other choice but to empty his bullpen. He tied a major league record on Tuesday night against Arizona when he used 11 pitchers in an 8-6 loss. Simply, the over usage falls on the starters’ shoulders.

The always consistent Ryan Vogelsong has only logged 9.1 innings in his last two starts  and during that span he has posted an inflated 9.64 ERA. Madison Bumgarner has a 6.48 ERA in his last three starts. Tim Lincecum has only pitched seven innings once since August 5th, and the inconsistent Barry Zito owns a 6.56 ERA in his last seven starts.

The problem?

Big innings. Usually that problem only implies to Lincecum, but now that issue has seemed to catch on with the rest of the staff. Big innings can also mean high pitch count innings where the starter has to use 25+ pitches to get the three outs and multiple runs come across the plate to score.

 It may be hard to believe, but the Giants’ starters might be throwing too many strikes. Bumgarner has had this problem before, Ryan Vogelsong tends to over rely on his fastball as opposed to Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum who walk batters to put runners on the base paths. Matt Cain, meanwhile, tends to fall in the latter category when he does struggle.

But the point is that opposing hitters know that Giants’ pitchers like to throw strikes. It’s not such a bad thing, but it’s not a great trend to follow either.

If the Giants want to hang on to their 4.5 game lead in the N.L West, their starting pitching must improve. It’s what the organization has prided themselves on for the past few years, and that can’t change given their inconsistent offense.

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Cahill Silences Giants' Bats in 6-2 Loss

The Giants fell behind early, and didn't have another comeback in them to pull even, falling 6-2.

Madison Bumgarner allowed four runs over 6.1 innings. With Bumgarner only going six, a Giants' starting pitcher has not pitched at least seven innings since last Tuesday.

Arizona got to Bumgarner early. Miguel Montero singled home a run in the first inning. John McDonald collected an RBI in the fourth inning. And what ultimately pulled Bumgarner from the game was Aaron Hill's RBI double in the fifth inning. Jean Machi wasn't able to stop the bleeding either.

Machi inherited Bumgarner's fourth earned run, and also allowed a run charged to himself on Paul Goldschmidt's RBI single.

The Giants looked to be on the verge of coming back again in the seventh. Brandon Belt drove two home with an RBI single in the seventh frame, but Ryan Theriot grounded into a double play to put the comeback to sleep.

Bumgarner has now allowed eight runs in his last 10.1 innings, and he hasn't won a game since August 20th.

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Giants Send Bumgarner To the Mound In Series Finale

After a crushing defeat in extra innings last night, the Giants will try to rebound against the Diamondbacks with Madison Bumgarner on the mound.

Bumgarner, who gave up four runs in four innings against the Cubs on Friday, looks to snap a string of bad starts by Giants' starting pitchers. This string of dreadful starts began a week ago in Houston. Since, Giants' starters have amassed a 7.88 ERA, and no pitcher during that stretch has gone more than 6.1 innings.

The Diamondbacks will send Trevor Cahill to the bump. The former Athletic is 9-11 with a 4.02 ERA this season.

Lineups

Diamondbacks

1. Adam Eaton (L) CF
2. Aaron Hill (R) 2B
3. Justin Upton (R) RF
4. Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B
5. Miguel Montero (L) C
6. Chris Johnson (R) 3B
7. Gerardo Parra (L) LF
8. John McDonald (R) SS
9. Trevor Cahill (R) P

Giants

1. Angel Pagan (S) CF
2. Marco Scutaro (R) 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B
4. Buster Posey (R) C
5. Hunter Pence (R) RF
6. Brandon Belt (L) 1B
7. Xavier Nady (R) LF
8. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
9. Madison Bumgarner (R) P

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SF Giants: Why This Giants' Team Is Better Than the 2010 Team

In 2010, a team with Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell in the middle of the order won the World Series.

Now, in 2012, that same team has Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence in the middle of the order. Oh, and they've got some pretty good pitching too.

San Francisco managed to win the World Series in 2010 despite a lack of offense and experience. Edgar Renteria hit a three-run home run in Game 5 of the World Series to power the Giants to their first championship since moving to San Francisco.

And now, that same team is trying to do it again.

During the first half of the season, the Giants had lots of trouble on offense and bringing in runners in scoring position. However, after the All-Star break, San Francisco leads the league in batting average with runners in scoring position.

And, thanks to Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval, Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan and others, the Giants are in the top half of the league in runs scored.

Ryan Vogelsong has been struggling, as his ERA has shot up by more than a run in just five starts (from 2.27 to 3.29). Madison Bumgarner's last two starts have been poor, and Tim Lincecum has a 5.21 ERA. Oh, and Barry Zito hasn't been too sharp lately.

Vogelsong got a good amount of luck early in the year, as he had great stats despite his inability to miss bats. However, he is in a funk now, and he's allowing a lot of home runs. Vogelsong has thrown a lot of pitches, and he hasn't been able to slam the door with runners on base.

Zito may not be earning a 126-million dollar contract, but he's been pitching well. Zito has a 10-8 record and a 4.51 ERA, and San Francisco is 16-11 when he pitches (although Zito has benefitted from some run support).However, the Giants still have a great pitching staff.

Madison Bumgarner has kept his ERA around 3.00 for the whole season, and Matt Cain has a sub-3.00 ERA and a perfect game. Lincecum has an ERA around 3.00 and a winning record since the All-Star break, and Barry Zito has great stats for a No. 5 pitcher.

Zito may not be earning a 126-million dollar contract, but he's been pitching well. Zito has a 10-8 record and a 4.51 ERA, and San Francisco is 16-11 when he pitches (although Zito has benefitted from some run support).

Even though the Giants have received some poor outings from starters, they've still won 11 of their last 14 games. Clutch and timely hitting, unexpected contributions and good management has aided the Giants, who lead the Dodgers by 4.5 games for first place in the NL West.

Marco Scutaro, who was acquired in a midseason trade with the Rockies, is hitting .288 and has been a great on-base guy and run-scorer. He had a walk-off hit Monday against the D-Backs, and Scutaro has 24 RBI since joining the Giants.

Angel Pagan has also been great in the top of the order, and he and Scutaro have formed a formidable 1-2 punch. Pagan's batting average climbed above .290, and while it is back under .290 now, he's still been hitting very well.

Posey has hit about .400 since the All-Star break, driving in key runs left and right. He has been key to San Francisco's success, as his WAR (wins above replacement) is higher than 5. Posey has knocked in a lot of runs and made some nice plays on defense as well.

Overall, the Giants have a great team. Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Pablo Sandoval, Matt Cain and others are better than they were in 2010. Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro were great pickups, and Brandon Belt and Joaquin Arias have been great too. San Francisco has lots of offensive and pitching talent, and they've been using that to their advantage.

And, while the road to a championship will be harder than it was in 2010, this Giants team is better than the 2010 team. What does that mean?

The Giants can most definitely win the World Series this year.

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Giants Start Series at Wrigley: Game Preview, Lineups

The Giants did their job against the Astros by sweeping them in a three-game series.

Now they'll look to repeat that performance against the 50-80 Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Madison Bumgarner (14-8, 2.93 ERA) will pitch for the Giants. He will look to rebound after a sluggish performance against the Braves in his previous start.

He will be opposed by Chris Volstad (1-9, 6.28 ERA), who, as you can probably tell by his stats, should not be much of a threat.

I'll repeat the same thing I wrote at the start of the series against the Astros: anything short of a sweep against the Cubs would be considered a disappointment.

Lineup - Giants vs. Cubs 11:20 AM

CF Pagan
2B Theriot
3B Sandoval
C Posey
RF Pence
1B Belt
SS Arias
LF Blanco
P Bumgarner

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Walks Kill Bumgarner In 7-3 Loss to Braves

Madison Bumgarner allowed a three-run homer to Jason Heyward in the third inning, and the Braves never looked back, winning 7-3.

Bumgarner worked himself into trouble in right out of the gates. He allowed two straight batters to reach base, but carefully pitched his way out of the jam.

However, he wasn’t able to work himself out of a jam in the third. The real mistake was the fact that he walked the pitcher. Then walked Martin Prado to put two runners on for Jason Heyward who hit the ball hard in his first at-bat. Heyward crushed a three-run homer, to put the Braves out in front, 3-0.

Brandon Belt hit drove a run home in the fifth. Though the real spark was when Gregor Blanco smacked a two-run double down the right field line to pull within one. That was in the seventh inning.

But Atlanta would come right back in the eighth to score two more, and tack on one more in the ninth to put the game to rest.

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San Francisco Giants: Ranking the Giants' Starting Pitchers from Best to Worst

The San Francisco Giants have great pitchers. They have a "Big Five" of former Cy Young winners and current Cy Young candidates, and it's very tough to rank them.

How do you say that a Cy Young candidate is the No. 4 pitcher on a team (since one Cy Young winner isn't very good anymore)? I don't know.

However, the Giants' staff is that deep. They've always been known for winning low-scoring games and grinding out tight wins, thanks to their pitching staff. People recognize the Giant pitchers for their feats, but one of those still has to be the No. 4 pitcher.

So, without further ado, here is the rankings for the five Giant starting pitchers.

5. Barry Zito

2012 Stats: 9-8, 4.42 ERA

Any knowledgeable Giants fan would tell you that Barry Zito is the worst starter on the team. And they'd be right. 

Zito's ERA has been north of 4.00 in each of his six seasons with the Giants, and his record hasn't been too pretty either. For a No. 5 pitcher, his 2012 stats are respectable, but he was signed to a 126-million dollar contract in 2007. Has he lived up to the expectations set for him?

Not at all.

When Zito hits his spots, he's dominant. His fastball sets up his curveball, and he freezes hitters by placing a sinking pitch right on the corner for strike three. He's pitched like that at sometimes, as he has four shutouts of seven-plus innings this year.

But his inconsistency has really hurt San Francisco. Zito sometimes falls behind counts and hangs pitches over the plate, which is a hitter's dream. Because of that, his stats aren't too pretty and haven't been pretty in his time with the Giants.

Which makes him the obvious choice for the worst starting pitcher on the team.

4. Ryan Vogelsong

Stats: 10-7, 2.85 ERA

Before I get a bunch of angry comments, hear me out.

Vogelsong was 10-5 with a 2.27 ERA on the morning of August 13. On the afternoon of August 19, he was 10-7 with a 2.85 ERA. What happened, you may ask? The hittable pitches Vogelsong threw finally turned into hits, and lots of pitches were fouled off (which ran up his pitch count).

Against the Padres, one of baseball's worst offensive teams, Vogelsong threw multiple pitches in every inning and was yanked after three terrible frames. In the first two innings, Vogelsong threw an astounding 66 pitches.

He won't be getting that kind of luck consistently. Vogelsong hasn't been able to miss bats, but he's done a nice job forcing weak contact. He's gotten away with some mistakes, but hitters have made him pay for leaving curveballs and fastballs up in the zone.

His stats have been a lot better than Tim Lincecum's and near Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner's, but if I could choose one to start Game 7 of the World Series, I wouldn't choose Vogelsong. He has been great, but a lot of luck has factored into his success, and lately, he hasn't been able to keep his pitch count down and get out of jams.

3. Tim Lincecum

2012 Stats: 7-13, 5.30 ERA

While Lincecum hasn't been good in 2012, he has put up some great numbers over the course of his career.

Lincecum has won two Cy Young awards and was the winning pitcher in the clinching game of the 2010 World Series. He has been known as a great strikeout pitcher who has nasty stuff, and a great athlete with a crazy windup.

Timmy has great stuff. He has a good fastball, a hard slider, a curveball that can freeze hitters and a changeup that often fools hitters. Even if he completely misses his target, Lincecum can make a hitter look foolish. That's how good his stuff is.

However, Lincecum, who was always able to get out of jams, has struggled to slam the door with runners on base. His confidence was low in June, and he wasn't able to perform at all. However, he's been better now.

Lincecum is 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA after the All-Star break, and he's been able to pitch better with runners on base. The old Lincecum almost always slammed the door in those situations, and he limited the damage. We're seeing that Lincecum now, which is why he's not lower in my rankings. 

And even though I seriously considered putting Lincecum higher, the next two guys are just a tad better (in my opinion).

2. Madison Bumgarner

2012 Stats: 14-7, 2.83 ERA

Bumgarner has a funky delivery, some good stuff and a very high level of maturity. If you add that up, you get a great pitcher.

Right now, Bumgarner is the No. 2 pitcher on the Giants. However, he's only 23 and will just get better. Bumgarner can pitch well in any situation and isn't fazed by anything. His cutter and breaking ball are nasty, and his fastballs gets him ahead of the count.

Hitters have trouble seeing the ball because of his release, and the movement doesn't help. He can fool top hitters with breaking balls in the dirt, but he can also place his pitches on the corner. Bumgarner is great at striking out hitters, almost all because of his stuff. 

Bumgarner rarely lets guys get on base. He has an astounding 0.99 WHIP and a .218 opponent batting average, meaning that hitters are having lots of trouble getting on base. Bumgarner has been somewhat inconsistent this year, and he has struggled on the road. However, he's still been great.

Every team has had trouble with Bumgarner. He doesn't make many mistakes. He's allowed a lot of home runs, but he knows how to work his way out of jams and get all kinds of outs. Bumgarner would be the ace on most teams, but the Giants aren't like most teams.

Because most teams don't have Matt Cain.

1. Matt Cain

2012 Stats: 13-5, 2.83 ERA

Matt Cain used to be the most underrated pitcher in baseball. Then, he threw a perfect game. Now, his incredible feats are being recognized.

Cain has a spectacular win-loss record, ERA and WHIP (1.01) this year, and he is now recognized as the Giants' ace. Cain can get all kinds of outs and can pitch in all kinds of situations, and he is very consistent.

The Giants' ace has good stuff and is able to get out of jams. He doesn't throw many shutouts, although quality starts are common for him. Cain keeps his pitch count down and is able to log a lot of innings. It's very rare that he doesn't go more than six innings.

Cain has a good slider and changeup and a fastball that gets him ahead of the count. When he's on, hitters whiff at his off-speed pitches and watch fastballs fly in on the corners for first and second pitch strikes. Usually, he's on, so hitters have trouble hitting him.

Even though Bumgarner and Lincecum are great, I had to go with Cain here. He's always been great, but he's being recognized now. Cain has performed best with pressure on and he's always going to give you his best effort.

So, therefore, the best pitcher on the Giants' pitching staff is Matt Cain.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report.

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Tim Lincecum: Giants At Dodgers

Madison Bumgarner's lights out performance against the arch-rival Dodgers will undoubtedly be a tough act to follow for the Freak, but the club and fans are noticeably (and should be) more optimistic of the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, as he's been vintage Timmy since starting the second half.  So, expect him to buckle down in Game Two of this pivotal series with L.A.

Tim Lincecum has been overall pretty good since coming back from the All-Star break.  In his last seven starts, he's gone 3-3 turning in five quality starts, allowing only sixteen earned runs in 43.2 innings.  His most recent outing was the worst of the bunch, and it wasn't even that bad.  Here's the line:

IP.   H  ER  BB  K  HR
4.0  8    4     1    5    1

Sure, he raised his ERA from 5.35 to 5.45 and allowed a two-run shot Ala Danny Espinosa, but it was against the hottest team in baseball, the Washington Nationals, who are a Major League best 76-46.

Lincecum does, however, have more than descent numbers against L.A (6-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 109 K's through 106.2 innings).  On June 27th, he tossed seven masterful innings to shutout the Dodgers while accumulating eight punch-outs.  Opposing pitcher Joe Blanton is 2-4 with a 4.75 ERA in his nine career starts against San Francisco, and is a disappointing 0-2 with a bloated 8.22 ERA in three starts since coming over from Philadelphia.

Worth Noting:

Apparently, skipper Bruce Bochy plans on resting a surging Buster Posey, or possibly using him at 1st base.  Either way, having his bat in the lineup is key, and if Brandon Belt must sit to make room for the NL MVP candidate, I'm okay with it.  We can always bring him in off the bench.

Let's Go Giants.

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Bumgarner Fans 10 as Giants Hold On to Take Sole Possession Of First Place

Two of the game’s best southpaws took center stage on Monday night in Los Angeles, and only one prevailed. Behind Madison Bumgarner, the Giants held on to take game one of this crucial three game series, 2-1.

Bumgarner, who came into Monday’s game with a 4-2 record against Los Angeles, cruised through eight dominant innings against the quiet Dodgers’ bats. The southpaw fanned ten over eight eight innings. In the process, he threw a season-high 123 pitches, one short of his career-high of 124.

The Dodgers’ 1-5 hitters united to produce an 0-16 line off Bumgarner. He induced four strikeouts to Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, and Andre Ethier combined.

Angel Pagan jumpstarted the Giants’ offense with a leadoff double to leadoff the game. Pablo Sandoval would drive him home with a shallow sacrifice fly two batters later. Pagan, who came into the game 4-16 off Clayton Kershaw, collected two hits and scored the only two Giants’ runs in the game.

A leadoff single off the bat of Clayton Kershaw dribbled into right field to spark a stressful inning for Bumgarner. Shane Victorino followed the pitcher by reaching on a fielders choice, then swiped second base with the bat in Matt Kemp’s hands. On a full count, Bumgarner got Kemp to chase a slider in the dirt to end the threat.

However, a rematch shaped up in the bottom of the ninth inning. With two outs, Hanley Ramirez stepped in to face Sergio Romo. And Ramirez’s game-winning two-run homer off Ramirez earlier in the season wasn’t forgotten. However, Ramirez got the best of Romo once again, as he smacked a solo shot that pulled the Dodgers within one.

Javier Lopez came into the game to face Ethier, and he would induce a slow roller to first base to close the game.

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Bumgarner Pitches the Giants to a 6-1 Victory Over the Nats

Behind Madison Bumgarner, the Giants rebounded from a 14-2 beating last night, to even the series with a 6-1 victory.

 Bumgarner was magnificent. He allowed just one run on five hits and six strikeouts en route to his second complete game of the season and his career. He recorded his 13th win of the season, and lowered his ERA to 2.97.

Brandon Belt and Hunter Pence combined for six hits. Belt drove in three runs, but missed two home runs by inches. The first was an opposite field drive to left in the second inning. The ball ticked off the wall and scored a run, but Belt, who hesitated while rounding second base, was thrown out at third to kill a rally.

The second ball that Belt crushed hit off the top of the brick wall in right, caromed perfectly to the right fielders, and Belt was again thrown out trying to take the extra base. He did drive home his second run of the game, but his was obviously frustrated.

Bumgarner, who surrendered seven runs to the Nationals on the fourth of July, showed no signs of any carry over affect. He was poised throughout all nine innings of his masterpiece. A deep drive to right field by Jayson Werth spoiled his chances of a shutout. Pence looked to have a beat on it, but he flinched slightly and it fell as Werth raced his way to third. Adam Laroche followed Werth with a sharp ground ball that kicked through Brandon Crawford's legs at shortstop. Werth trotted home to score the Nationals' only run of the game.

The Giants offense erupted in the bottom of the eighth inning. Melky Cabrera sparked the four run inning with a leadoff double. He advanced to third on a wild pitch from Drew Storen. Buster Posey walked. And Sandoval drove Cabrera in with a sacrifice. That was just the peek of a much needed inning for San Francisco.

Belt would collect his third RBI of the game with a single to right. Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan  both collected an RBI in the inning. Pagan beat out a chopper up the middle to cap off the inning.

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Giants VS. Nationals: Pre-Game Notes, Lineup, Preview

After being activated on Monday, Pablo Sandoval will be making his first start since July 24th. He will bat fifth, and play third.

It should be noted that this is practically one of the few times all season that San Francisco will have everyone at full strength.

Madison Bumgarner will look to shutdown a potent Nationals' lineup that scored a season-high 14 runs last night. He will oppose Jordan Zimmerman, who now leads the National League with a 2.35 ERA, after Ryan Vogelsong salavaged the lead last night, allowing eight earned runs.

Notes:

• Last night, the Nationals became just the eighth team  to score 14 or more runs in a game during AT&T Park's history. 

• Brad Penny was placed on DL prior to tonight's game with shoulder soreness. According to Henry Schulman, Penny said that his shoulder has been bothering him since he started pitching in Fresno before coming up to the Giants. Penny's opponents batting average of (.301) is the highest mark in the majors. 

•  Dan Otero will take Penny's place on the roster. 

• Ryan Zimmerman and Mike Morse have combined to hit five home runs off Bumgarner in just 14 at-bats coming into tonight's matchup.

• In 18 career innings against Washington, Bumgarner is 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA. That includes a start earlier this season in which he gave up seven runs in five innings. 

• Zimmerman allowed just one run and fanned seven batters over six innings in a start earlier this season to the Giants. 

• Zimmerman's 2012 ERA has yet to eclipse 2.92. 

• The Giants are 0-4 against the Nationals this season, and have been outscored 38-14 in those four contests. 

Giants:

1. Angel Pagan (S) CF

2. Marco Scutaro (R) 2B

3. Melky Cabrera (S) LF

4. Buster Posey (R) C

5. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B

6. Hunter Pence (R) RF

7. Brandon Belt (L) 1B

8. Brandon Crawford (L) SS

9. Madison Bumgarner (R) P

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SF Giants: Previewing the Giants' Upcoming Series with the Washington Nationals

The San Francisco Giants currently lead the NL West by one game, and they've had some tough tests this year.

However, the biggest test is yet to come.

San Francisco prepares to take on the Washington Nationals in a battle of two division leaders. Washington is led by a trio of dominant pitchers and a well-rounded offense, and that's why they lead the league with 71 wins (and just 44 losses).

Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann make up the Nationals' dominant pitching trio, and all three will start against the Giants. Zimmermann has the third-best ERA in baseball, Strasburg's ERA is below 3.00, and Gonzalez is among the league leaders in wins (with 14).

Luckily for the Giants, three of their best pitchers will take the hill. Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong will pitch, and all have had successful careers. Vogelsong has the second-best ERA in baseball, Bumgarner leads the team with 12 wins and Lincecum has won two Cy Young awards.

Even though the pitching will be spectacular, expect to see some offense as well. San Francisco scored nine runs in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday, and they are now near the top half of the league in runs scored.

Washington's offense has also done well, and they've been sparked by great play by Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse. The Nationals have a very well-rounded offense, and there are no easy outs in their lineup.

The Nats have done a great job since Jayson Werth's return. Adam LaRoche, Werth, Morse and Zimmerman have all been great on offense, and Kurt Suzuki, Steve Lombardozzi, Danny Espinosa and Bryce Harper have also done well. San Francisco's pitchers will have a tough task on their hands when they face Washington's offense.

Pablo Sandoval, who is hitting .299 this year and .317 against lefties, will be available to play on Monday and will start Tuesday and Wednesday (according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle). He will add a spark to an offense that's already been doing a great job.

However, Washington's aces will have a tough time as well. San Francisco has Melky Cabrera and Buster Posey, who have both been on fire lately. Both are hitting at least .400 against left-handed pitchers, which is bad for Gonzalez, who will start on Monday.

Oh, and did I mention Hunter Pence, the second-newest member of the Giants? He hasn't done well in San Francisco, but he did hit a game-winning home run on Sunday. Pence has knocked in 11 runs since playing his first game in SF on August 1.

There are a lot of different ways that this series can go down. The bats could explode, and both teams could continue to score a lot of runs. Or, the pitching could take over, and we could see gems and low-scoring games in a ballpark that swallows up hitters.

No matter what happens, the fans are sure to get a good show. San Francisco and Washington are two of the best teams in baseball, and it will be very fun to watch the games. I could simply say the games will be great and conclude the article, but no article like this would be complete without predictions.

So, what do I think will happen? I think Posey and Cabrera will pound Gonzalez and lead the Giants to a blowout win in game one, thanks to a solid effort from Vogelsong (who's been amazing at home) and an offensive explosion.

In the second game, there will be some great pitching. Bumgarner and Zimmermann have both been very consistent, and Bumgarner has been dominant at home. Expect both to pitch well into the later innings, and look for a tight, low-scoring game.

It will be close, but I'd expect San Francisco to take advantage of Washington's bullpen struggles and win. In game three, you'll see some more great pitching. I expect Lincecum to deliver another solid performance, but I think Strasburg will out-pitch him in a low-scoring game to help the red-hot Nats avoid a sweep.

So there you have it. Kick back, eat some popcorn, have a soda and watch the Giants and Nationals battle. I can't guarantee who will win, but I can guarantee that you'll see some exciting action.

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