Second place in the National League West will be at stake when the San Francisco Giants host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a four-game series that begins Monday night.
The second-place Giants doubled their advantage over the third-place Diamondbacks to two games on Sunday, recording a second straight home win over the Boston Red Sox while Arizona was falling for the second time in three days to the visiting Seattle Mariners.
A Giants sweep of the D-backs could even vault them into the division lead, depending on how the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers fare against the Oakland Athletics.
Los Angeles dropped two of three games to the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend.
The Giants and Diamondbacks already have met seven times this season, with Arizona holding a 4-3 edge. After this set, the clubs will end their season series with two games in Arizona in September.
The key series will begin Monday with an expected matchup of starting pitchers who have enjoyed success against the opponent this season.
The Giants, who have won four of their last five games, had not officially named their starter for the series opener as of early Monday morning, but it reportedly will be right-hander Alex Cobb (6-3, 2.97 ERA). Cobb is coming off one of his best outings of the season, having shut out the A's on three hits over six innings in a 2-1 Giants home win on Tuesday. He struck out nine and walked one.
The 35-year-old will face the Diamondbacks for the second time this season, having shut them out on seven hits for 7 1/3 innings in a 6-2 road win in May. He has gone 3-2 with a 4.93 ERA in seven career starts against Arizona.
Cobb should benefit from having shortstop Brandon Crawford behind him after the veteran played a surprisingly important role in Sunday's 4-3, 11-inning win over the Red Sox.
Asked to sacrifice the potential winning run to third base in the 11th, Crawford dropped a bunt so perfectly down the third base line that the Red Sox had no play, loading the bases. Joc Pederson followed with a walk-off hit.
"Execution always trumps good strategy," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said afterward. "Now you're going to face Joc or Wilmer Flores with the game on the line, and that's a pretty good situation for the Giants.
"That was as clutch as any hit we've gotten."
The Giants haven't done much hitting against Diamondbacks right-hander Ryne Nelson (6-5, 4.97 ERA) this season. Arizona has won both of his starts against San Francisco. He took a no-decision in a 7-5 home victory in May and the win in a 5-2 triumph at San Francisco in June.
Nelson allowed a total of five runs and 10 hits in 11 2/3 innings (3.86 ERA) in those games, his only career appearances against the Giants.
With Merrill Kelly having pitched Sunday against Seattle and dependable Tommy Henry out with an elbow injury, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo knows his starting pitching will be tested.
"Any time one of your five starters goes down, and the way Tommy has been throwing the ball -- he's keeping us in ballgames -- yeah, that's a concern," Lovullo said. "But it's time for somebody to step up and help us win baseball games."
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