GAME 1
Coming off their worst offensive showing of the season, the Giants try to avoid falling even further out of first place when they face the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night, But have been int his spot before. As a matter of fact Exactly one year ago on Aug. 30 of last season San Francisco was five games behind West-leading San Diego, but the Giants overcame that deficit to win the division en route to a World Series championship. Now they find themselves in the same situation as last year. The Giants are last in the NL in runs at 454 and batting average at .237, and they've been even worse lately, plating 10 runs while hitting .184 in the last six games. San Fransisco will send Ryan Vogelsong to the hill in hopes that a win is possible for the Giants even this late in the season. The Giants have dropped 2 of his lat 3 starts but amazingly he has held an ERA of just 2.86. Overall Vogelsong has a 10-4 record with a 2.54 ERA and is 1 and 3 with a 4.00 ERA in his last four, although the Giants have scored only one total run in those three defeats. The Right-Hander should benefit from pitching at AT&T Park, where he has a 1.98 ERA the majors' fourth-best home ERA. The Giants have won 8 of his 12 starts at AT&T Park. Vogelsong has been backed by 15 total runs in winning his two starts against the Cubs this year while posting a 2.45 ERA.

Chicago snapped a four-game losing streak Monday and won for the second time in nine games. Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, Blake DeWitt and Carlos Pena all went deep for the Cubs, who lead the NL with 38 homers this month. Matt Garza (6-10, 3.68 ERA), who'll be facing San Francisco for the first time.Garza has won 3 of their last 5 games and has allowed 3 runs or less in those starts including 2 shut-out games in that span.The Right-Hander is 1-1 in his last 3 starts with a an ERA of just 2.65. Although the Giants' offense has struggled, pitching in San Francisco could give Garza problems. The right-hander has a 5.07 road ERA, compared to a 2.76 ERA at home. and the Cubs have dropped 7 of his 11 road starts this year. Garza permitted six runs three earned and eight hits in five innings of Thursday's 8-3 loss to Atlanta after recording a 1.80 ERA in his previous four outings. Even though the Cubs had a big night last night against the Giants, I think winning 2 out of 9 games is not enough to get another win at AT&T Park against Vogelsong.

1* SAN FRANSISCO GIANTS -132