The Los Angeles Dodgers were running away with the NL West just a few weeks ago, but still haven’t completely done so. Those pesky San Francisco Giants have kept pace, sitting just 2.5 games back as September rages on.

Although the Giants have a firm grip on the NL Wild Card game berth, but they will continue to fight for the NFL West pennant. And judging by the pace they’ve kept over the past month, they very well could chase down the Dodgers.

Let’s break each team down to see if it has what it takes to win the pennant.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have won four of five games against the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, which has helped them maintain the small lead they have. However, the approaching series from Friday to Sunday with the Giants will loom large for the rest of the season.

The Dodgers are 6-7 against the Giants, including a three-game sweep at AT&T Park. The series seems to be in the Dodgers favor, as Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw end it with consecutive starts.

With Kershaw putting historic numbers and Greinke adding ace-like stuff as of late, the Dodgers rank fourth in baseball with a 3.26 ERA. What could potentially hurt them is the bullpen, which ranks 17th in the league.

If the bullpen cannot step up, it could come down to the offense, which ranks 12th in the league, to provide a late-inning boost. A key factor could be Adrian Gonzalez, who has hit in seven consecutive games.

If he can hit like he has through the beginning of September, this Dodgers offense could see an big increase in production. With Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp leading the way, this could be one of the best offenses in baseball if Gonzalez gets hot.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have won 10 of 13 games, including series wins over the Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers. Those are impressive wins given that the Brewers and Tigers are even desperately attempting to make the postseason.

In contract with the Dodgers, the Giants do not have a powerhouse at the ace position. They have Madison Bumgarner (3.02 ERA) and Tim Hudson (3.12). Both have been extremely strong, but not anywhere close to Kershaw’s 1.67 ERA.

That means the Giants will likely have to get a strong showing from their offense in the upcoming series with the Dodgers. Luckily, they have something that the Dodgers don’t have, Buster Posey.

Posey is batting .306 for the year with 20 home runs and 80 RBI. Those are strong numbers for the former NL MVP, but needs Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval and Michael Morse to continue to aid him.

The Giants rank ninth in the league in team batting average, but they need to translate hits into runs. It can be done, but against pitchers like Greinke and Kershaw, it will be difficult.

Bumgarner faces Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 1 of the series, which presents a favorable a matchup for the Giants. Game 2 might be where the series is won or lost, as Hudson and Greinke face off. The Giants need two out of three in this series, and they very well could do that.