Nationals @ Giants

Who will WIN this matchup?

Washington Nationals (58-53)

@ San Francisco Giants (56-56)

Starting Pitchers:

Fedde (WSH): 1-2; 4.67 ERA

Samardzija (SF) 8-8; 3.75 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Washington Nationals: 3-7

San Francisco Giants: 4-6

Current odds:

Washington Nationals: (+125)

San Francisco Giants: (-135)

• The Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants were two of the hotter teams in the majors for quite some time before running into recent cold spells. Both clubs aim to heat up at the other’s expense on Monday when they open a pivotal three-game series in San Francisco. Anthony Rendon tied the game with an RBI single in the seventh inning on Sunday, but Washington was unable to stave off Arizona and fell for the seventh time in 10 games with a 7-5 setback. The 29-year-old is 10-for-27 with two homers and 12 RBIs over his last seven contests heading into an encounter with Monday starter Jeff Samardzija, against whom he is 3-for-18 with four strikeouts.

• Washington is clinging to a share of the second wild-card spot in the National League, with San Francisco residing 2 1/2 games back after dropping three of its last four contests. Donovan Solano belted a pair of solo homers in Sunday’s 6-2 setback to Colorado, giving him seven hits, four RBIs and four runs scored in his last five games.

• Fedde endured a nightmarish outing on Tuesday after getting ravaged for nine runs on as many hits in 3 2/3 innings of an 11-8 setback against Atlanta. The 26-year-old was taken deep twice in that contest and has surrendered seven homers in his last six trips to the mound for Washington. Jarrod Dyson, Alex Avila and Wilmer Flores have each hit a homer versus Fedde, who is making his first career start against San Francisco.

• Samardzija improved to 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA in his last six starts on Wednesday after scattering three hits over six scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia. The 34-year-old, however, has struggled mightily against the Nationals, posting a 2-9 mark with a 4.80 ERA in 18 career appearances (11 starts) after permitting four runs in five frames in a 9-6 setback on April 17. Trea Turner (6-for-10, homer), Matt Adams (9-for-19, three homers, seven RBIs) and Gerardo Parra (14-for-34, two homers) have flustered Samardzija in their careers.

• San Francisco SS Brandon Crawford is 4-for-31 with eight strikeouts in his last nine games.

• Nationals 2B Brian Dozier has registered multi-hit performances in five of his last nine contests.

• Giants 1B Brandon Belt, who has five hits in his last four games, homered among his three hits against Washington in April.