By Jeremy Harness

USA Today file photo: San Francisco Giant pitcher Matt Cain is looking forward towards his third successful start on Friday night in Colorado

The Giants are in a great place right now overall, however. They currently sit on top of the National League West with a 4 ½ game lead over the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers. They were able to extend their lead this week by sweeping the San Diego Padres – against whom they are 9-0 this year – in a three-game series at AT&T Park.

As an indication of how good they have been, they have only lost seven contests in the month of May, thanks to a starting rotation that has been on top of its game, which is nothing new to a team that has grown accustomed to winning.

The Giants now head to a place that has not been very kind to them over the years. Coors Field has served as a house of horrors of sorts for the team, and it has not enjoyed much success in this young season there, either.

The team traveled to Denver for a three-game series last month and took the opener quite easily, but the success stopped there. The Rockies used the thin air to their advantage in the next two games, scoring double-digit runs in both of them to take the series.

This time, however, the Giants’ rotation in on a nice roll, including Friday’s starter, Matt Cain. The right-hander has a quite-underwhelming 1-5 record at press time, but his most recent was a dandy. He gave up only a run in six solid innings to a very good Cubs lineup five days ago to get things back on track.

He will face Colorado righty Tyler Chatwood (5-3, 3.02 ERA).

The next day, the Giants will have the top of the rotation ready to take the ball. Madison Bumgarner (6-2, 2.17 ERA) will start the opener against Rockies right-hander Eddie Butler (2-2, 3.58 ERA).