Opposite dugout: Giants make pitching changes for another title push

Manager: Bruce Bochy (10th season)

Record: 62-46

Last 10 games: 4-6

Who to watch: C Buster Posey (.291/.364/.463 with 12 HR, 50 RBIs), 1B Brandon Belt (.283 /.395/.481 with 12 HR, 53 RBIs), SS Brandon Crawford (10 HR, 67 RBIs), LHP Madison Bumgarner (10-6, 2.25 ERA), RHP Santiago Casilla (2.98 ERA with 25 saves)

Season series vs. Nationals: 2-2

Pitching probables:

Aug. 5: LHP Gio Gonzalez vs. RHP Jeff Samardija, 7:05 p.m., MASN
Aug. 6: RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. RHP Matt Cain, 7:05 p.m., MASN
Aug. 7: RHP Tanner Roark vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner, 1:35 p.m., MASN

Inside the Giants:

The Giants are still leading the National League West and poised to make a run for their fourth World Series championship in seven seasons, but they've been slow out of the gate to start the second half of the season. They are only 5-13 since the All-Star break while seeing their 6 1/2-game lead before the break dwindle down to just two games to start this weekend. So something needed fixing.

The Giants made some moves at the non-waiver trading deadline to switch up their starting rotation and add to their bullpen. They traded third baseman Matt Duffy in a four-player deal to the Rays for starting left-hander Matt Moore, who made his Giants debut yesterday in Philadelphia. Moore is taking the rotation spot of right-hander Jake Peavy, who moves to the bullpen. The Giants also traded a pair of minor leaguers to the Brewers for reliever Will Smith, a left-hander who is recovering from a knee injury earlier this season while posting a 4.24 ERA.

San Francisco is hoping these moves, along with getting some injured players back, can help the club stay atop the division while moving through a tough schedule in August. Including this three-game set at Nationals Park, the Giants' next six opponents are all against playoff-contending teams.

Catch Buster Posey is still leading the way for Bruce Bochy's club, with a team-best .291 average and 12 home runs. First baseman Brandon Belt has added some pop with 12 homers and 53 RBIs to go along with his .283 average, while shortstop Brandon Crawford has a team-high 67 RBIs with his 10 longballs. Former National Denard Span will be making his first trip back to D.C. sporting a .265 average and .337 on-base percentage. Look for Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan and Joe Panik to contribute this weekend as well, each posting seven home runs and 36-plus RBIs.

Now on to the Giants' strength: the pitching. Right-hander Jeff Samardzija starts tonight's series opener at Nats Park with a 9-7 record and 4.30 ERA. Last week, Samardzija took the loss against the Nats after giving up four runs on seven hits in six innings. He is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA in six appearances (two starts) at Nats Park. Right-hander Matt Cain takes the ball for Saturday night's game. He is 3-6 with a 5.53 ERA but was able to get the win against the Nationals last week with five scoreless and hitless innings despite four walks. Cain is 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA in five starts at Nats Park, and has even been around long enough to have a 0-1 record and 5.27 ERA in two starts at RFK Stadium.

And finally, Madison Bumgarner will at last make a start against the Nationals on Sunday after missing them last week. Bumgarner is posting a 10-6 record with a 2.25 ERA but coming off a rough outing when the Phillies shelled him for a season-high eight runs (four earned) and 10 hits. The Giants have lost all four of his starts since the break, and it isn't looking good for Bumgarner coming into an outing against a team he is 3-4 with a 2.90 ERA against in a ballpark where he is 1-3 with a 5.00 ERA. With this season shaping up for another Nats-Giants showdown in October, I'll remind you of Bumgarner's historic run through the 2014 playoffs on his way to being named the World Series Most Valuable Player and his only loss coming at the hands of the Nationals.