GIants vs. Dodgers Series Preview: Rivalry Renewed at AT&T Park

After missing out on an opportunity to sweep the San Diego Padres the San Francisco Giants will turn their attention to another NL West rival in the Los Angeles Dodgers starting Friday, still looking to make up more ground on the division leading Arizona Diamondbacks. 

The Giants will be coming into the series off an off day Thursday, while the Dodgers will have to finish up a weather induced double-header on Thursday out in Washington D.C. before traveling back across country to the Bay to take on the defending champs. And even with the Dodgers well out of the playoff race they will still have the opportunity to essentially murder the Giants chances of a playoff push with a strong series at AT&T Park. 

Currently 7.5 games behind the Diamondbacks, the Giants have three more series before facing Arizona again for the last time this season. If they could make up some of these games before they face them again, it could set the Giants up for some late season magic and possibly stealing a playoff berth for the second straight season, despite innumerable injuries and a slew of rookie call-ups on the roster. 

Including their double-header, the Dodgers are in the middle of playing 24 games in as many days, a stretch they'll have to ride until Sept. 18 against the Pirates back at Dodger Stadium; something that hopefully plays into the Giants hand at  home. They also will be without former Giants utility man Juan Uribe who had surgery on a sport hernia on Thursday, though he's been rather unproductive for them all season