St Louis Cardinal Thomas Saggese (left) reaches base safely after San Francisco Giants pitcher Carson Seymour drops the ball and was charged with the error in the bottom of the seventh inning at Busch Memorial Stadium in St Louis on Thu Sep 17, 2026 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 Can Giants left-hander César Perdomo rebound after allowing five runs over 4⅔ innings in his most recent start and keep the Dodgers’ lineup under control?

#2 How will the Giants attack Max Muncy, who has hit more home runs at Dodger Stadium than any other player in franchise history?

#3 Can Jung Hoo Lee provide enough offense for San Francisco against a Dodgers pitching staff that has been among the National League’s strongest?

#4 With Shohei Ohtani sidelined for Friday’s opener, how much will his absence affect the Dodgers’ lineup, and could San Francisco take advantage?

#5 Ohtani is eligible to return September 23 at the earliest. Can the Giants’ bullpen keep the games close late, particularly against a Dodgers club that enters the series with a 92-60 record compared with San Francisco’s 64-89 mark?

Lincoln Juarez does the San Francisco Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com