Baltimore @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2016 ) Baltimore 2, San Francisco 6

A day after Madison Bumgarner ended a rare winless streak, the San Francisco Giants hope another one of their aces can end his own second-half blues. Johnny Cueto looks for his first victory in more than a month Sunday when the Giants host the Baltimore Orioles in the rubber match of their three-game set.

San Francisco (66-50) has lost most of its 6 1/2-game cushion in the National League West by dropping 17 of 26 since the Midsummer Classic, winning consecutive games only once over that time as Bumgarner and Cueto combined to go 0-5. Bumgarner kept the Giants one game ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (65-51) with a gem in Saturday's 6-2 victory, however, striking out eight over seven innings. Cueto will try to recapture his first-half form (13-1, 2.47 ERA) and attempt to earn his first victory since July 6 against the Orioles (65-51), who fell one-half game behind American League East-leading Toronto with their fourth loss in six contests. Baltimore holds a 1 1/2-game edge on division rival Boston for the first wild-card spot and hopes to wrap up its 10-game road trip by going 5-5 before returning home for eight in a row starting Tuesday.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), CSN Bay Area

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Wade Miley (7-10, 4.98 ERA) vs. Giants RH Johnny Cueto (13-3, 2.92)
Miley absorbed his second loss in as many tries since coming over from Seattle at the trade deadline in Tuesday's defeat in Oakland, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks over six innings. The 29-year-old Louisiana native is 1-8 over his last nine outings despite holding the opposition to three runs or fewer six times. Miley pitched seven strong innings with the Mariners on Sept. 15, 2014 to defeat the Giants, improving to 4-4 in 10 appearances (nine starts) against them.
Cueto continued his recent struggles in a no-decision at Miami on Monday, allowing five runs on six hits - including a pair of homers - while throwing only 76 pitches over five innings. The two-time All-Star is 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA in five trips to the mound since drawing the start for the National League at the Midsummer Classic. Cueto was roughed up by Baltimore in each of his two turns against them last year, losing each time while surrendering 14 runs (13 earned) in 11 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS
1. Giants CF Denard Span drove in four runs Saturday, matching his RBI total from his previous 28 games. 2. Baltimore INF Steve Pearce (right flexor tendon) returned following a five-game absence Saturday but struck out as a pinch hitter in his only plate appearance.
3. San Francisco went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position Saturday, halting a stretch in which it hit a MLB-worst .180 in those situations since July 1.

PREDICTION: Giants 4, Orioles 3