San Francisco @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2012 ) San Diego 6, San Francisco 4

The San Francisco Giants are preparing for the postseason as they begin a three-game series with the San Diego Padres. With that in mind, they have decided that All-Star MVP Melky Cabrera won’t be a playoff participant. Cabrera drew a 50-game suspension on Aug. 15 for testing positive for testosterone and would have been eligible to return if San Francisco’s postseason journey reached a sixth game. The club decided on Thursday that the .346 hitter won’t return to the fold.

Padres third baseman Chase Headley is battling Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun for the National League RBI crown. Headley has 109 RBIs, one behind the reigning NL MVP. Headley also needs one homer for the first 30-homer season of his career. Giants catcher Buster Posey brings a league-leading .333 average into the series after passing Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen on Thursday. San Francisco second baseman Marco Scutaro is hitting .452 (28-for-62) during a career-best 15-game hitting streak. Scutaro is batting .361 in 56 games since the Giants acquired him from the Colorado Rockies in late July.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, California SportsNet Bay Area (San Francisco), Fox Sports San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Ryan Vogelsong (13-9, 3.58 ERA) vs. Padres LH Anthony Werner (2-2, 4.64)

Vogelsong is looking to notch a career-best 14th victory after matching his total from last season by beating the Padres last Friday. He gave up one run and five hits in six innings to improve to 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA in three starts against San Diego this season. Vogelsong has a 6.51 ERA in 13 career appearances (five starts) against the Padres. He is 6-5 with a 5.56 ERA in 13 starts since the All-Star break.

Werner has experienced back-to-back rough outings after beginning his major-league career with four consecutive solid starts. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings against San Francisco last Saturday and was rocked for five runs and six hits. Werner has allowed 10 runs in 8 2/3 innings over his last two efforts after giving up just seven runs in 24 1/3 innings over his first four starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Diego 1B Yonder Alonso had three hits in Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but is hitting just .176 in 16 career games against San Francisco.

2. Giants OF Hunter Pence is two RBIs away from reaching 100 for the first time in his career. He has a .186 career average in 13 games against the Padres.

3. Padres C Yasmani Grandal is coming off back-to-back two-hit games and has gone 3-for-6 against Vogelsong this season.