San Francisco @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2011 ) Atlanta 9, San Francisco 6

THE STORY: The Atlanta Braves enjoy a comfortable cushion in the National League wild-card race - but the San Francisco Giants could change that in a hurry this week. The teams begin a four-game series Monday at Turner Field with the Braves leading the defending World Series champions by four games. The Braves swept a three-game series in San Francisco from April 22-24.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Fox Sports South

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (7-11, 3.63 ERA) vs. Braves RH Tim Hudson (12-7, 3.18 ERA)

Bumgarner will try to win back-to-back starts for only the second time this season after throwing seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. He struck out 10 in that one, falling one short of his season-high. Bumgarner has faced the Braves only once, allowing four runs over 2 2/3 innings in a loss back on April 22.

Hudson has posted 10 consecutive quality starts, and he's won his last three outings. The 36-year-old has a 1.69 ERA over his last three appearances. Hudson is 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 14 starts against San Francisco. He held the Giants to two runs over 8 2/3 innings in a 5-2 win April 23.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (66-55): The Giants hope Bumgarner can continue what San Francisco's pitchers did in Florida, where they allowed only four runs and 15 hits in taking two of three from the Marlins. The win Sunday snapped a four-series losing streak for San Francisco. The Giants hope to get outfielder Carlos Beltran back in the lineup this week after he missed six straight games with a strained right wrist.

ABOUT THE BRAVES (70-51): Atlanta's Dan Uggla had his career-best hitting streak snapped Sunday at 33 games — the longest streak in the majors since 2006 — but more importantly, the Braves dropped two of three to the Cubs to allow the Giants to shave a game off their wild-card lead for the second straight day. Atlanta had won five straight and seven of eight before losing the last two games against Chicago.

FINAL PITCH: The Giants ended their major league record streak of 21 consecutive solo home runs on a two-run shot by Cody Ross in the third inning Sunday, but they started a new streak. Nate Schierholtz hit a solo shot in the fourth and Brandon Belt hit a pair of solo blasts in the sixth and eighth.