Milwaukee @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 30, 2014 ) Milwaukee 1, San Francisco 3

San Francisco tries for its sixth consecutive victory when it hosts the first-place Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series as the Giants' starting rotation continues to dominate. San Francisco, which is two games clear in the National League wild-card race, moved within 2 1/2 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the West Division after Saturday's 3-1 victory, which was highlighted by Jake Peavy taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning. That came four days after Madison Bumgarner - Sunday's starter - carried a perfect game into the eighth versus Colorado as the Giants have yielded only six runs during their winning streak.

“It feels like playoff baseball. It’s nice to play well in that atmosphere against a good team,” San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford told reporters. Kyle Lohse takes the ball after snapping a four-start winless streak in his last turn for Milwaukee, which saw its NL Central lead over St. Louis trimmed to one game. The Brewers have scored six runs during their four-game slide after starting their road trip with a 10-1 victory over San Diego on Monday.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (12-7, 3.42 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (15-9, 3.02)

Lohse allowed one run, four hits and four walks while striking out five in six innings of a 10-1 victory at San Diego on Monday in his first start in 12 days after skipping a turn because of an ankle injury. ''The ankle was fine,'' the 35-year-old Californian told reporters. ''It was one of those things where I felt really good and really strong. And we kept putting up runs. ... I'm not used to having almost two weeks off late in the season. Everything else has been feeling good, but I just needed a little break to get ahead of the ankle soreness.'' Lohse, who is 8-5 with a 4.32 ERA in 16 road starts this season, is 3-2, 3.79 in six career outings against San Francisco

Bumgarner on Tuesday allowed only Justin Morneau's double leading off the eighth inning while matching a career high with 13 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory - his fourth complete game of the season. "That game was probably more impressive than a lot of no-hitters, that's how well he threw," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy told reporters of the 25-year-old North Carolina native. "You look at the strikeouts, the stuff he had, the command, it was quite a job." Bumgarner, who had two career complete games entering 2014, is 3-2 with a 1.67 ERA in six starts against Milwaukee but has struggled against Ryan Braun (6-for-17, two home runs).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Giants won a series against a team with a winning record for the first time since taking three of four in St. Louis from May 29-June 1.

2. Milwaukee's Jonathan Lucroy on Saturday recorded his major league-best 46th double and is trying to become the first catcher to lead his league in two-base hits.

3. San Francisco's 10-game home run streak - one shy of matching its season high - was halted Saturday.

PREDICTION: Giants 3, Brewers 2