Atlanta @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2012 ) Atlanta 2, San Francisco 5

The red-hot San Francisco Giants seek their fifth straight victory when they host the slumping Atlanta Braves in Friday’s second contest of a four-game series. San Francisco leads the National League West by three games over the Los Angeles Dodgers after winning the series opener. The Giants have won nine of 12 games and are thriving despite the recent loss of outfielder Melky Cabrera after a failed drug test. Atlanta has lost five of six games.

The Braves have slipped to 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Washington Nationals in the NL East but still lead the wild card race. Atlanta has scored just 14 runs during its six-game malaise and scored its only two runs in Thursday’s loss in the ninth inning. San Francisco hopes to have catcher Buster Posey (hamstring) back in the lineup after a two-game absence. Hector Sanchez started for Posey and had a key two-run double in the opener.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, Peachtree TV (Atlanta), NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Ben Sheets (4-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. Giants RH Ryan Vogelsong (10-7, 2.85)

Sheets has lost three of his last four starts after winning his first three outings. He gave up four homers to the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last start when he allowed six runs in six innings. Sheets didn’t allow any hits other than the homers. He is 4-3 with a 2.34 ERA in 10 career starts against San Francisco.

Vogelsong is coming off two poor outings in which he pitched a total of 5 2/3 innings. He was torched for eight runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings by the Washington Nationals on August 13 and then gave up three runs and eight hits in three-plus innings against the San Diego Padres in his last outing. Vogelsong received a no-decision against Atlanta on July 18 when he allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He has an 0.96 ERA in two career appearances against the Braves.

WALK-OFFS

1. Giants OF Angel Pagan is batting .467 (14-for-30) with 10 runs scored during a seven-game hitting streak.

2. Braves 2B Dan Uggla reached base three times in the opener on a hit and two walks after going 1-for-20 over his previous six games.

3. San Francisco OF Hunter Pence struck out two more times Thursday and has fanned 26 times while batting just .195 in 22 games since being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies.