Giants-Yankees preview

NEW YORK -- The last time the San Francisco Giants started Madison Bumgarner in an American League ballpark they let him bat.

On June 30, the Giants forfeited their designated hitter and Bumgarner went 1-for-4 in a 12-6 win at Oakland.

The game-time temperature in Oakland when Bumgarner batted was 66 degrees, but when the Giants take the field at Yankee Stadium on Friday night for the opener of their three-game series against the New York Yankees, the weather is projected to be significantly hotter.

"I think we're seeing three right-handers," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy told reporters. "Not that (Bumgarner) is a matchups guy. But with our situation now, I'll probably DH one of our left-handed hitters. Our bench is deeper now. Plus, it could be really hot. We want to keep him off the field."

Regardless of the temperature, the Giants would like to get on a hot streak again.

They entered the All-Star break with a 57-33 record but have dropped five straight, equaling a season worst set April 17-21 During the slump, San Francisco starting pitchers have an 8.14 ERA, the offense has produced a .237 average (41-for-173) while also going 6-for-41 with runners in scoring position.

The offense actually improved Wednesday when the Giants fell behind by eight runs before losing 11-7. San Francisco's average on this trip climbed 40 points after five players had multi-hit games.

"Those first games in San Diego and yesterday, our offense wasn't there yet," catcher Trevor Brown told reporters. "Even though we lost tonight, we put up seven runs. That's definitely some good momentum. Everybody in the lineup who started got a hit, which is nice."

The comeback attempt was needed because Matt Cain lasted 2 1/3 innings and allowed five runs.

The Giants hope Bumgarner will resemble the pitcher who struck out 14 in a one-hitter against Arizona on July 10 and not the pitcher who allowed four runs and seven hits during six innings in last Friday's loss at San Diego.

"We've got Bum on the mound, right?" Giants right fielder Mac Williamson told reporters. "I think we're always confident when he's out there."

Bumgarner will face the Yankees for the first time but has matched up with a few of their hitters. New York's switch hitters and right-handed bats have done well against him, but its left-handed bats have not.

Starlin Castro is 11-for-26 against Bumgarner while switch-hitters Carlos Beltran and Chase Headley are 2-for-6 and 10-for-33, respectively. Left-handed hitters Brian McCann and Didi Gregorius are 1-for-9 and 1-for-8, respectively.

The Yankees had a four-game winning streak stopped with Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. New York had four hits and dropped to 4-3 on its 10-game homestand.

"I think you have to look at you took three out of four from a good Baltimore team and you have to move on," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "San Francisco's going to be no easy task. You can't have a letdown because you lost today. You have to get yourself up and know you're facing a really good pitcher tomorrow."

Masahiro Tanaka will start on regular rest, which he has struggled with this season. Tanaka is 1-2 with a 5.33 ERA in eight starts with regular rest, which is why speculation persisted that Chad Green would start when the Yankees scratched him from his Triple-A start Tuesday and recalled him Thursday.

Tanaka is 6-0 with a 1.70 ERA in 12 starts on extended rest. The latest instance was Sunday when he allowed one run and three hits in six innings during a 3-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

"I don't want to talk for them, but more rest means more time to sort of get the inflammation out of the body," Tanaka said. "But the bottom line for me is to basically go out there and try to shut the opponent down regardless of the number of off days you have in between starts."

Long before interleague play began in 1997, the teams met in the World Series in 1921, 1922, 1923, 1936, 1937, 1951 and 1962. The Giants won the first two World Series against the Yankees before losing the next five.

During the regular season, the Yankees have won five of nine meetings. The Yankees won four of those games in New York in 2002 and 2013 and the Giants took two of three at home in 2007.