By Jeremy Harness

AP file photo: San Francisco Giants Madison Bumgarner throws against the Chicago Cubs Sun September 3 at AT&T Park goes to the hill Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field

If the Giants hope to reach the postseason for the fifth time in seven years, they will have to start winning. And they will have to do it very quickly.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have begun to sprint away from them, amassing a five-game lead in the National League West that only figures to grow at this particular juncture, and they are even losing their grip on the NL’s wild-card spot.

At press time, the Giants hold an ultra-thin half-game advantage over the New York Mets, who themselves are riding a five-game winning streak – including prevailing in eight of their last 10 contests – and are poised to take over that final playoff spot.

At this point, there is no confidence in the bullpen whatsoever, a far cry from the feeling that the Giants gave off during their three World Series runs. The offense is by means a sure things, either, but that it hardly news to a team that has ridden its pitching staff to its historic championship run.

Help may be on the way, however. See, the Giants will head to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks, who are near the bottom of the National League West with a 58-81 record, for a three-game series that starts Friday night.

In addition, they will send left-hander Madison Bumgarner (14-8, 2.51 ERA) to the mound against Arizona’s Rubby De La Rosa (4-5, 4.15 ERA).

Bumgarner, just like the Giants themselves, started the second half very sluggish in losing his first three decisions following the All-Star Game.

However, unlike his team, he eventually snapped out of his funk. By virtue of his six-inning, five-hit conquest of the Chicago Cubs and their ace, Jake Arrieta, on Saturday, he has now won four of his past five starts and has re-established his dominance at the top of the Giants’ rotation.

This appears to be the best opportunity for the Giants to regain their confidence as well as to re-establish their relevance in the playoff picture. If they come up short in the Southwest, they will be fighting a further-uphill battle that, chances are, they will not have the stuff to overcome.