Blue Jays face Giants in Interleague clash: Full series preview

Pitchers: grab your bats. The Toronto Blue Jays are heading to San Francisco

Following their series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Rogers Centre, the Toronto Blue Jays travel to California to open a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants.

San Francisco is coming off a four-game split with the Colorado Rockies on the road, but their 5-3 record in May has put them back over .500 at 17-16, good for second place in the National League West behind the Dodgers.

Entering play on Sunday, the Giants ranked third in the league with 161 runs scored behind only the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. Their raw power numbers don’t top the league, but they rank fifth in team batting average (.271) and really separate themselves with an on-base percentage of .346, the third-highest in baseball.

Their pitching, however, has been another story. The Giants’ staff holds a collective 4.41 ERA and has surrendered a .276 opponent’s batting average.

Across the Diamond: San Francisco Giants

Buster Posey continues to lead the way for the Giants, but according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, he could receive a scheduled day of rest for game one of the series. Posey entered play Sunday hitting an even .300 with four home runs and 15 RBIs.

First baseman Brandon Belt is enjoying an excellent season of his own, batting .317 with four home runs, while outfielder Hunter Pence has been a run-producing machine with 24 RBIs.

Angel Pagan may, or may not, return for this series after dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out for the games in Colorado. Shortstop Brandon Crawford is another name to watch in the Giants lineup. He’s been swinging a very hot bat lately and providing some value from the bottom third.

In the bullpen, closer Santiago Casilla has seven saves and hasn’t allowed an earned run in three weeks. With Sergio Romo and George Kontos both on the disabled list, the Giants have been forced to lean more heavily on Hunter Strickland, Cory Gearrin, Derek Law, and Josh Osich.

Let’s dive in to the three pitching matchups ahead in San Fran:

Next: Game 1 Preview: Sanchez versus Peavy