Preview/Prediction

The Giants' season-long chase after the San Diego Padres has finally paid off. San Francisco is half a game back of the Padres.

Getting here has been a lengthy and remarkable pursuit marked by the resilience and dedication of the boys in orange and black.

And it isn't over. Much will depend on how the Giants play their last remaining games.

And yet there are some things beyond the Giants control that may happen to hamper their run at NL West Pennant.

Let's take a look at 10 key things to watch for down the stretch for the Giants.

There's many stories that have been set up this way.

A team fights through adversity and injury to make a run to the top of their league, only to fall prey to a crushing blow. Yet, when it seems all hope has been lost, some short moment of glory inspires the team to victory, earning the adoration of their previously dormant fans and the respect of their formerly prickly adversaries.

Think "Remember the Titans." Think "Bad News Bears." Think "Angels in the Outfield."

Boy, this season went by fast.

Seems like just yesterday that the Mariners were gearing up to take the league by storm with lights-out pitching and defense, and the Padres were preparing to field offers for Adrian Gonzalez. Those were the days.

Despite the struggles of the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout the 2010 season, two teams in their farm system, the Ogden Raptors and the Great Lakes Loons, recently completed record-breaking years and continue to battle in the playoffs in their respective leagues.

After watching teammate Mike Pelfrey rebound with a solid effort against the Phillies yesterday, Jon Niese will try to do the same today.

The rookie left-hander has had three straight bad starts after four straight outstanding ones of allowing one earned run in each.

During his recent slump, the Mets have brought up the subject of limiting his innings, but decided to let him roll. They did push him back a day after his most recent outing, when he allowed five runs in six innings against the Cubs.

NEW YORK—The Mets were let down last night in the series opener against the Phillies by their young starter Jenrry Mejia. He's young in age, not just baseball years.

Today, they'll attempt to even the series by starting another younger pitcher, Mike Pelfrey. Now, Pelfrey has been around since 2006, and is 26 years old. But, he still pitches like someone of Mejia's age.

With the playoffs around the corner, potential matchups are being examined. The regular season is winding down and the hunt is heating up. For the Padres and Phillies, two playoff hopefuls, there is a chance the two will face each other in the postseason.

Whether the Phillies and Padres win the wild card or their divisions, there is a good chance they'll face each other, making for an intriguing matchup.

After winning seven of 10 games in the Bronx, the New York Yankees start a nine-game road trip with a weekend series against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers.

Could this be a possible ALDS preview?

Yes, if the Yankees get through the last 22 regular season games, which is not as easy as it sounds.

Both Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell had 2009s worth forgetting. 

Huff had the worst year of his career, batting .241, hitting only 15 home runs and racking up 85 RBI between Baltimore and Detroit. 

No doubt the majority of Pittsburghers have moved on from the Pirates for the year, and many Reds fans are getting psyched for the Bengals on Sunday, but there is very important business to take care of this weekend at Great American Ballpark.

The Reds return home licking their wounds from the horrific 1-6 road trip, one in which they showed a great deal of lethargy and fatigue.