The set-up: Ichiro Suzuki got hit No. 3,000 on Sunday in Miami's 10-7 win over the Colorado Rockies and with that out of the way, Miami gets a chance to fully focus on its playoff chances. Those chances are very real, as the 59-52 Marlins currently own the NL's second wild card spot, although four teams are "on their heels," no more than four games back. The Giants still lead the NL West but just barely, having lost 15 of 21 games since the All Star break. At 63-48, San Francisco's division lead is down to just one game over the hated-Dodgers. San Francisco wasted a great effort from Madison Bumgarner in Sunday's 1-0 loss and the win gave the Nationals the season series 4-3. If the teams finish with identical records and meet in the playoffs as division champs, the Nationals would get home-field advantage.

The pitching matchup: Johnny Cueto (13-3, 2.73 ERA) starts for the Giants on Monday, while the Marlins send Jose Fernandez (12-6, 2.87 ERA). The Giants won 16 of Cueto's first 18 starts this season but San Francisco has since lost three of his last four. The team is 17-5 (plus-$901) in all of his starts this season, including 10-2 in his road starts (he's 8-2 with a 2.82 ERA ). Miami's Fernandez has lost two games in a row for the first time since his rookie year of 2013 but as most are aware, he's a brilliant 26-2 record and 1.62 ERA in 38 career starts at Marlins Park.

The pick: Not only are the Giants in a funk since the All Star break (6-15), Cueto‘s winless streak reached four starts when he settled for a no-decision Wednesday in Philadelphia, after giving up four runs and seven hits over 7 2/3 innings. The Giants are 1-3 in that stretch, with Cueto posting a 4.18 ERA. Meanwhile, Fernandez's home record speaks for itself. He's not just 26-2 in his career home starts but the Marlins are a sweet 32-6 (.842 win percentage) in each one of them! Miami is an 8* play.