The Giants move on to Atlanta in a battle of playoff contenders. If the post season started today, these teams would meet in the first round. The game features two young talents as Tim Lincecum faces Jair Jurrjens. The Giants are 16-6 when Tim starts, 5-2 when Tim doesn’t get a decision. So even though Lincecum could have won more games, he sets a great foundation for victories. Jurrjens’s ERA is much lower at home than on the road this season, 1.71 vs. 7.63. Both are based on a small sample of innings, as he spent most of the season on the disabled list. He strikes out more batters at home, leading to fewer hits in Atlanta.

The other good matchup of young pitchers takes place in Seattle where Tommy Hunter takes on Felix Hernandez. Hunter suffered his first loss of the season against the Angels his last time out, and was only the second time this season he failed to earn a quality start. Hernandez posted ten solid starts in a row, with a 1.93 ERA over that span. His lack of support left him with a 4-3 record, however.

Enjoy!