We've reached the dog days of summer, meaning that teams across the league are gearing up for a playoff push. And in the first week of August the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies bring a playoff type atmosphere to the shores of McCovey Cove starting with the matchup of Cliff Lee and Madison Bumgarner on Thursday night.
Bumgarner (6-10 3.80 ERA) is coming off a very forgetful start out in Cincinnati in which he lasted only four innings while allowing five earned runs en route to a 7-2 Reds victory. Bummy will hopefully have some run support this evening, but when facing a guy like Cliff Lee, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Lee (10-7 3.14 ERA) is fresh off a win against the Pirates last week, keeping the Buccos to four earned runs on eight hits in seven and 2/3 innings of work, leading the Phils to an eventual 7-4 Philly win. It was his first win in his last five starts, although he did win the previous five in a row before that. It will be the first time facing the Giants since game 1 of the 2010 World Series when the Black and Orange broke his 7-0 postseason win streak.
Hunter Pence and Carlos Beltran will square off for the first time in their new uniforms, and should be fun to see who makes more of an impact during this series. Both were acquired for their potent bats, but who will come through in the clutch? Can't wait to find out.
First pitch is set for 7:15 pm PT this evening with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM.
For more in depth analysis and discussion of the Giants, check out McCovey Chronicles.