SF Giants series preview - it's time to face the Dodgers

The easy part is over.

The SF Giants have swept two of their last three series, surging to four games over .500 off the back of a 7-2 run against the Rockies, Cubs, and Cardinals. Now, though, things get intense. A weekend series in LA kicks off a 10-game stretch against NL West foes, all of whom expect to contend for a title this year. If the Giants want to survive this midseason gauntlet, they'll have to prove they can outplay their bitterest rivals.

But this challenge doesn't invalidate the hard work the Giants have done to reach this point. Since a brutal 11-17 start, the G-Men have gone 25-15, mostly off the back of excellent rookie production and a scintillating bullpen. We're seeing a wave of young talent that's been missing since the last World Series core, with Patrick Bailey, Casey Schmitt, Blake Sabol, and now Luis Matos looking to make their mark on the next great Giants team. And while star prospect Kyle Harrison is still sharpening his skills in AAA, we've seen Ryan Walker and now Keaton Winn make their debuts in the bullpen and dazzle.

But make no mistake, the combined efforts of Walker, Winn, and a bevy of strong mid-leverage arms wouldn't be nearly as potent without the back-end threat of Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval, whose ERAs average out to about 1.70. The "elder" Rogers brother, Taylor, has also been dominant after a rough start to the season, allowing just one run in the past calendar month. A shame, because he's fifth in his own bullpen in that regard. You can read more about the relief corps' incredible surge here.

The big problem is that they'll have to get to the bullpen with a lead. That's been a bit of a problem lately, given that the rotation hasn't been holding up its end of the bargain. Logan Webb's been good lately, and Sean Manaea's managed well in fewer innings, but Cobb, Wood, and DeSclafani have been either struggling or outright bad in the past month. The good news is that we'll have Webb and Manaea (likely piggybacking off of opener John Brebbia on Friday) pitching in Chavez Ravine. The bad news is that the Giants still haven't figured out who their third pitcher is this series.

That could end up being a big problem. The Dodgers haven't looked like their triple-digit win selves this year, and they'll just miss having Clayton Kershaw available to start. But even with the holes in their roster, they're still throwing Bobby Miller (0.78 ERA) and Tony Gonsolin (1.93 ERA) at San Francisco. Freddie Freeman just walked off the White Sox, which will give LA a huge morale boost, and we haven't even touched on the strong individual seasons from Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, and Max Muncy.

The silver lining is that this is a test of growth for the Giants. This is a team that can score 10 runs one day, and get one-hit the day after. Every part of this team has struggled throughout the year, but each player has also given us reason to think they can shine. They'll have to battle their own inconsistency, more than anything else, to wrest this series away from a team that's always dangerous and several games ahead in the standings. We're nearly halfway through the season, and all year, we've been asking who these Giants are. One way or another, this test, this weekend, will give us an answer.

Let's hope it's one we like.

Series Details

Who: SF Giants at LA Dodgers
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
When: June 16-18, Friday (7:10 PM), Saturday (6:10 PM), Sunday (1:10 PM). All times Pacific.

Giants' current streak: W4, 7-3 in last 10. 36-32 overall, 3rd place in NL West (4.5 GB)

Dodgers' current streak: W1, 4-6 in last 10. 39-30 overall, 2nd place in NL West (2.0 GB)

Projected starters:

Friday: John Brebbia** (2-0, 3.25 ERA) vs. TBD

Saturday: TBD vs. Bobby Miller (3-0, 0.78 ERA)

Sunday: Logan Webb (5-6, 3.15 ERA) vs. Tony Gonsolin (4-1, 1.93 ERA)

*Indicates LHP

**Indicates opener

How to watch, listen:

SF Giants broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area, KNBR 680/1510 AM
Dodgers broadcast: SportsNet LA, AM 570/KTNQ 1020
National broadcasts: MLB Network (Sunday, out-of-market only)