Milwaukee @ San Francisco preview
AT&T Park
Last Meeting ( May 27, 2015 ) San Francisco 3, Milwaukee 1
The streaking San Francisco Giants seek their sixth consecutive victory when they begin a three-game series against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. San Francisco has won 11 of its last 12 games and swept a three-game weekend series against Oakland to move within one game of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
Buster Posey recorded a season-best four hits in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Athletics and has posted three or more hits in five of his last 10 contests. Posey is 23-for-45 over his last 11 games while raising his average 28 points during the stretch to a robust .328. Milwaukee suffered back-to-back shutout defeats in losing three of four to Arizona, scoring just five runs in the series. Gerardo Parra is 15-for-36 during his 10-game hitting streak and is a subject of trade speculation.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (5-11, 6.29 ERA) vs. Giants RH Chris Heston (10-5, 3.18)
Lohse is 0-2 over his last three starts, pitching exactly five innings in each outing. He has allowed 10 or more hits five times this season, including a loss to Cleveland in his last turn when he was touched up for five runs and 10 hits - two of which were home runs to raise his season count to 23. Lohse is 3-4 with a 5.08 ERA in eight career starts against San Francisco and struggles against Hunter Pence (.340 average in 53 at-bats).
Heston is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA over his last six outings as he continues his breakout season. He allowed just one hit in 7 1/3 scoreless innings while beating San Diego in his last turn and has given up only one run in 21 1/3 frames over his last three turns. Heston, who never has faced Milwaukee, has gone 10 consecutive starts without allowing a homer and has served up only six on the campaign.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants 3B Matt Duffy has six multi-hit performances over his last 12 games and is batting .389 during that stretch.
2. San Francisco OF Nori Aoki (fibula) is expected to be activated prior to Monday's series opener.
3. Milwaukee 1B Adam Lind (back) missed Sunday's game and will be re-evaluated on Monday.
PREDICTION: Giants 8, Brewers 2