San Francisco @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 19, 2014 ) San Francisco 5, Miami 3

Tim Lincecum regained his top form the last month and looks to extend his winning streak to five starts when the visiting San Francisco Giants go for a three-game sweep over the slumping Miami Marlins on Sunday. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner can match the amount of victories (10) he produced in each of the previous two seasons. The Giants have won three straight for the first time in more than a month and moved back into first place in the NL West with Saturday's 5-3 victory.

San Francisco leads the Los Angeles Dodgers by a game after winning seven of its last 11 and turns to Lincecum, who has yielded a total of 10 hits during his winning streak. The Marlins have dropped six straight games and 22 of 32 while producing only 16 runs in their last eight contests. Giancarlo Stanton homered for the second straight night after a 15-game drought and leads the NL with 23.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Lincecum (9-5, 3.66 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Brad Hand (0-2, 5.26)

Lincecum has allowed only one run in 30 1/3 innings during his winning streak, which began with a no-hitter against San Diego on June 25. The 30-year-old Washington native lost to Miami on May 17, giving up three runs in six innings, and is 2-2 with a 3.83 ERA in six career starts versus the Marlins. Stanton is 3-for-11 with a homer and Garrett Jones has gone deep twice against Lincecum.

Hand, who has made 14 relief appearances this season, makes his fourth straight start after permitting six earned runs over 15 1/3 innings in the previous three. The 24-year-old Minnesota native is 1-12 with a 5.09 ERA in 20 career starts, including five in 2014. Hand struck out two and issued a pair of walks in 1 2/3 hitless frames over two relief outings at San Francisco in mid-May.

WALK-OFFS

1. Stanton already has belted 140 homers in his career at age 24 – three behind Mike Lowell for third place on the Marlins’ all-time list.

2. San Francisco 3B Pablo Sandoval has recorded eight hits in 13 at-bats and scored four runs in his last three contests.

3. Marlins LF Christian Yelich has hit safely in 12 consecutive games and 14 of 15 since returning from the disabled list.

PREDICTION: Giants 6, Marlins 2