Pittsburgh @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 23, 2016 ) San Francisco 5, Pittsburgh 3

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong expects a warm welcome Monday at AT&T Park in San Francisco as he takes the mound to face the Giants, who hold a one game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The 39-year-old won two World Series titles with the Giants before leaving during the offseason to join the Pirates, who have won six of their last nine.

Vogelsong figures to be battling his emotions when he starts for a Pirates club that sits one game back of the second wild card spot after taking two of three from the Dodgers over the weekend. “I’ve been thinking about it for quite a few months,” he told reporters. “I don’t know if I can be fully prepared for what it’s going to be like, but I’ve tried to get myself ready for it in case it happened. It’s going to happen.” Vogelsong could be facing a Giants lineup minus All-Star catcher Buster Posey, who is listed as day-to-day after being scratched from Sunday’s 8-7 loss to Baltimore with lower back tightness. The Giants haven’t won back-to-back games since July 30-31 and need more production from right fielder Hunter Pence, who snapped a 4-for-35 slump with a home run among his two hits on Sunday.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Pittsburgh), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Ryan Vogelsong (1-2, 2.67 ERA) vs. Giants LH Matt Moore (7-8, 3.99)

After working out of the bullpen for much of the season, Vogelsong started the month in the rotation where he settled in by allowing one earned run in two starts covering 12 innings. “It's no secret that I feel more comfortable (starting),” he told reporters. “For some reason, when I start, I feel like my stuff is better.” Denard Span is 5-for-15 against Vogelsong, who is 0-1 with a 5.74 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against San Francisco.

Moore is seeking his first win with the Giants after allowing a total of four runs in two starts covering 12 innings since being traded from Tampa Bay for infielder Matt Duffy. The 27-year-old has battled control issues throughout his career, and that’s continued in San Francisco with 11 walks in his first two outings. Moore, who has never faced the Pirates, was drafted in 2007 by Tampa Bay and is seeking his first full healthy season since his rookie campaign in 2012.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates LF Starling Marte missed Sunday's game due to upper back discomfort and is listed as day-to-day.

2. Giants OF Angel Pagan is 16-for-50 during his 12-game hitting streak.

3. Pittsburgh is 19-11 against NL West opponents this season.

PREDICTION: Giants 6, Pirates 4