San Francisco @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( May 31, 2015 ) Atlanta 7, San Francisco 5

The San Francisco Giants are one of the hottest teams in baseball since the All-Star break, while the Atlanta Braves are one of the coldest. Streaking in the opposite direction, the two teams open a three-game series Monday in Atlanta as the Giants aim to win for the 12th time in 16 games since the break while the Braves look to improve on their 5-11 second-half record.

The Giants have surged into a tie with the Chicago Cubs for the second National League wild-card spot and sit just 2 ½ games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Buster Posey drove in San Francisco’s lone run in Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Texas, and the All-Star catcher is hitting .377 during a 14-game road hitting streak. The Braves wrapped up a miserable 2-8 road trip by avoiding a four-game sweep Sunday at Philadelphia, scoring more than three runs for the first time in 11 games in a 6-2 victory. Atlanta shortstop Andrelton Simmons missed Sunday’s contest with a sprained right thumb and is expeted to miss a few games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), SportSouth (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Matt Cain (2-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (3-3, 5.04)

Cain has struggled with consistency since making his season debut July 2, after missing the first three months with a right flexor tendon strain. He gave up four runs on eight hits in a loss Tuesday to Milwaukee,after beating San Diego with six innings of one-run, five-hit pitching six days earlier. Cain has posted a 0.75 ERA, yielding one run and seven hits in 12 innings, during his two victories while logging a 7.36 ERA in two defeats.

Foltynewicz pitched well in his return to the rotation Wednesday, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings and matching his season high with eight strikeouts in a loss at Baltimore. The rookie, who made three relief appearances in a five-day span in early July, likely will remain in Atlanta’s rotation following last week’s trade of Alex Wood to the Dodgers. Foltynewicz has recorded a 4.97 ERA in 10 starts, allowing 10 homers with 56 strikeouts and 19 walks in 58 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta 2B Jace Peterson snapped a 9-for-59 skid with three hits Sunday, including a three-run homer.

2. The Giants played Sunday without All-Star 2B Joe Panik, who has missed three of the past five games with lower back stiffness.

3. The Braves rank last in the majors in homers with 64 in 105 games and San Francisco has slugged 56 homers on the road (51 games).

PREDICTION: Giants 5, Braves 2