Opposite dugout: Pitching hasn't yet caught up to bats, but Giants still in contention

Manager: Bruce Bochy (9th season)

Record: 42-38

Last 10 games: 4-6

Who to watch: C Buster Posey (.304/.377/.496 with 13 HR, 56 RBIs), 2B Joe Panik (.316/.384/.463 with 30 RBIs), SS Brandon Crawford (.270 with 11 HR, 47 RBIs), LHP Madison Bumgarner (8-4, 2.99 ERA), RHP Santiago Casilla (4-2, 3.03 ERA, 20 saves)

Season series vs. Nationals: First meeting (2-5 in 2014)

Pitching probables:

July 3: RHP Jake Peavy vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez, 6:05 p.m., MASN
July 4: LHP Madison Bumgarner vs. RHP Stephen Strasburg, 11:05 a.m., MASN
July 5: RHP Ryan Vogelsang vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann, 8:08 p.m., ESPN

Inside the Giants:

Given that they ousted the Nationals from the National League Division Series last year, the Giants probably aren't the most popular team to come into D.C. But they only come to town once a year, and they're the defending world champions, so it's the only opportunity to see them this season on the shores of the Anacostia. Take note, there are some pretty odd starting times, owing to Friday night's fireworks display, Saturday morning's Independence Day game and Sunday night's national telecast on ESPN.

The Giants are chasing the first-place Dodgers in the National League West, trailing them by 3 1/2 games entering this weekend's three-game series. They haven't been playing particularly well of late, with short winning streaks punctuated by losses that have prevented Bruce Bochy's club from establishing a whole lot of momentum. They're coming off a three-game sweep at Miami, which would normally be a wake-up call for a team with title aspirations. But with outfielders Nori Aoki (fractured right leg) and Hunter Pence (fractured left forearm) on the disabled list, the Giants are missing a table-setter and some run production. They are firmly entrenched in getting-by mode.

Still, their .271 average is the second-highest in the major leagues, they have the second-most hits (748) and fourth-best on-base percentage (.330). If they could get a pitching staff whose major stats rank around the middle of the major league pack, maybe it would be easier to run off a significant winning streak and chip away at the Dodgers' lead. Until that happens, and considering the injuries, the Giants will probably be content to tread water and not fall too far behind. Remember, they were the wild card team last year before catching fire in October and, well, you know what happened after that.

Any offense with Buster Posey is dangerous, and the catcher leads the Giants with 13 homers and 56 RBIs. The loss of Pence has been easier to bear because of big seasons from the double play combination of second baseman Joe Panik and shortstop Brandon Crawford. Panik is slashing .316/.384/.465 and Crawford has developed a power stroke that is produced 11 homers and 47 RBIs. San Francisco needs first baseman Brandon Belt to continue to develop as a power bat - so far this season, he's got nine homers to go along with a .268average. Right fielder Gregor Blanco, who spent the 2011 season at the Nats' Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, has been hot of late - he's on a 10-game hitting streak, going 16-for-33 and has solidified the top of the lineup with Aoki on the shelf.

The Giants' pitching woes aren't limited to the starting rotation. The San Francisco bullpen has yielded 16 runs in its last 20 innings over sweven games. Closer Santiago Casilla has 20 saves in 24 opportunities, but the four blown saves and his 3.03 ERA and 1.35 WHIP aren't what you want from a frontline ninth-inning guy. Bochy hasn't liked the way Casilla has looked of late, and the tired arm the Giants suspect he has may mean a new closer for the short term, probably Sergio Romo.

Maybe the return of right-hander Jake Peavy will help the rotation. The Giants will activate Peavy, who beat the Nats in Game 1 of the NLDS last year, from the DL on Friday to make his first start since April 17, when he was shelved with a back strain that cost him 10 weeks. He lost his first two starts of 2015, failing to get past four innings. Peavy is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA on the road the season, though it's admittedly a small sample size - as are his .353 batting average against, .450 mark by right-handed hitters and .267 batting average against on the road. In his career against the Nationals, Peavy is 4-5 with a 3.87 ERA in 12 games, (11 starts). In two lifetime starts at Nationals Park, he's 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA.

World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner gets the call for Saturday morning's game. His win on June 28 was his first in four starts, and he's coming off a 2-2 June with a 2.77 ERA in five starts. His ERA has been stingy at 2.99 and his WHIP is a sparkling 1.04. He's 5-2 with a 3.64 ERA on the road, and 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA in day games this season (the Giants are 16-10 in day games, the fifth-best record in the majors). Opponents are hitting .230 against the lefty, while left-handers have just a .197 average. His fastball reaches 95 mph, and accounts for 48 percent of his pitches, but Bumgarner also throws a cutter from 83-90 mph 31 percent of the time and a 77 mph curve 18 percent of the time. He's never had a lot of success against the Nationals, with a 1-2 record and 3.68 ERA in four starts at Nationals Park and a 2-3 record and 2.60 ERA in seven career starts against Washington.

Sunday night starter Ryan Vogelsong has been both good and bad this season, but without him, the rotation that lost Peavy and Matt Cain to injuries might have crumbled. He was 0-2 with a 9.31 ERA in April, 4-0 with a 1.14 ERA in May and 2-4 with a 4.04 ERA in June. In his last start, the right-hander allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings, but that outing came on the heels of 12 2/3 innings of shutout ball over two previous starts. He's 4-4 with a 5.40 ERA on the road and 5-4 with a 4.29 ERA at night. Keep an eye on the home run ball - Vogelsong has allowed 12 blasts in 86 innings in 2015, after surrendering 18 in 184 2/3 innings last season. In nine games (five starts) in his career against the Nats, he's 1-2 with a 6.16 ERA, and he's posted no record and a 6.00 ERA in two starts in D.C. He trusts a 91 mph fastball 49 percent of the time, but also throws a 76 mph curve 21 percent of the time and an 88 mph cutter 20 percent of his pitches.