The San Francisco Giants are locked in a three way tie for first place in the NL West, and they begin a new series in Cincinnati on Monday. The Reds have lost six of their last seven overall, and they are already eight games out of first place in the NL Central. My money is on the Giants in Game 1.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Johnny Cueto returns to Cincinnati, now as a member of the visiting Giants. Cueto (4-1, 2.65 ERA) tossed a complete game shutout, striking out 11 in a win over the Padres in his last start. He's 18-5 with a 1.78 ERA in his last 31 starts at Great American Ballpark.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Angel Pagan is leading the Giants with a .315 batting average, and he might be in for a big day against Cincinnati's young left-hander today. He's batting .371 versus southpaws this season, with a pair of home runs.

3. X-Factor - The Reds bullpen has been brutal so far, ranking dead last in the major leagues with a 6.16 ERA.

Selection: This is a play on the San Francisco Giants (8*)