Opposite dugout: Giants hoping balanced attack leads to another title

Manager: Bruce Bochy (10^th season)

Record: 65-49

Last 10 games: 5-5

Who to watch: C Buster Posey (.291 average with 12 HR, 54 RBIs); 1B Brandon Belt (.280 average with 13 HR, 57 RBIs); SS Brandon Crawford (7 3B, 71 RBIs); RHP Johnny Cueto (13-3, 2.93 ERA); LHP Madison Bumgarner (10-7, 2.20 ERA).

Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (1-3 in 2013)

Pitching probables:

August 12: RHP Dylan Bundy vs. RHP Matt Cain, 10:05 p.m., MASN2
August 13: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner, 9:05 p.m., MASN2
August 14: LHP Wade Miley vs. RHP Johnny Cueto, 4:05 p.m., MASN2

Inside the Giants:

As of today, the two closest divisional races are in the American League East and the National League West. The Orioles sit just a 1/2-game back of the Blue Jays, while the Giants cling to a one-game cushion over the Dodgers. And with less than 30 percent of the regular season remaining, it may not be too early to call this weekend's matchup between the guys in orange a "must win."

For the Giants, will it be another case of capturing a championship while the calendar is on an even year? Hey, it's worked for this entire decade, with the Giants capturing World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Even the most skeptical fans have to wonder if there is a two-year blueprint stashed in a backroom office in San Francisco that spells out the formula for winning every other season. If there indeed is a recipe for success, the Giants are well on their way to perfecting another meal as the team features a balanced attack at the plate and on the mound.

Offensively, the heart and soul has to be catcher Buster Posey. The former National League MVP is batting .291 and is tied for the team-lead with 109 hits. First baseman Brandon Belt, meanwhile, leads the team in doubles with 30 and has the most home runs on the roster, though that number is a surprisingly-low 13 on the season. In fact, the Giants rank 13^th in the National League in home runs and 12^th in slugging percentage. But what the Giants lack in power, they make up for in nearly every other offensive category. The team is fourth in the senior circuit in hits, fifth in runs scored, third in walks and third in on-base percentage. Simply put, the Giants may not have a lot of pop at the plate, but certainly have plenty of patience.

Although the hitters don't pack a ton of power, Giants pitchers will undoubtedly be aware of their opponent's tendency to smack the ball out of the park. Heading into Thursday's games, the Orioles were tops in the major leagues in home runs with 170, and added two more in a win over Oakland. The Giants, however, have had success this season with their starting rotation, ranking third in the NL with 65 wins and fifth in team ERA. Long time Giant Matt Cain starts Friday's series opener, looking to win his fourth straight decision. Cain started off on the wrong foot, losing his first five decisions, but has since gone 4-1 with a 3.50 ERA. In his last two starts, Cain hasn't allowed a run in 10 innings of work. Madison Bumgarner has lost three of his last six starts, but has allowed four earned runs or fewer in all of those outings. The left-hander took a tough loss in his last start against the Nationals, allowing just one run in a complete-game performance, though the lone run was all the Nationals needed as the Giants were shutout. Saturday will be Bumgarner's fourth start against an American League East opponent this season. In his previous three starts, Bumgarner failed to reach a decision in any of them, but kept the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees all to less than two runs. It's been more than a month since Johnny Cueto last won a start, as the right-hander still sits at 13 wins. He's had a few no-decisions sprinkled in during that time, but Cueto has watched his ERA balloon from 2.06 back on June 21 to 2.92 following his last start. For his career, Cueto is 0-2 with a 10.32 ERA against the Orioles.

Closer Santiago Casilla has put together a nice season, tallying 25 saves to go with a 2.78 ERA. Casilla hasn't allowed a run since July 26 and been a fixture in San Francisco's bullpen for the last several seasons. The Giants' bullpen also features right-hander Derek Law, who boasts a 4-1 record with a 2.05 ERA, as well as 27-year-old Hunter Strickland, who has posted a 1.32 ERA since the All-Star break.