The 2014 Major League Baseball regular season is coming to a close, and the race in the NL West is heating up.

The final month is here, and great teams are being separated from the average teams. One of the best division races is taking place in the National League West, where the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers (as usual) are fighting for the division title.

These two teams have a long historic rivalry with one another, going back to when they used to play in New York City before 1958.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have led the NL West for nearly the entire season. They are currently 78-62, two games ahead of the Giants. The Dodgers' leading home run hitter this season has been Adrian Gonzales, who has 19. Gonzales also has a team-high 92 runs batted in. Yasiel Puig isn't having an unbelievable season, but his 142 hits and excellent fielding has helped the Dodgers all season.

There's no denying who the best pitcher has been this season. Clayton Kershaw is without a doubt the National League Cy Young winner this year. The 26-year-old ace has a 17-3 record this year with an incredible 1.70 earned runs against average. He could be the first pitcher to win MVP in the National League since Bob Gibson did so in 1968.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, their big lead is slipping. The Dodgers have lost four of their last six games, and the Giants are hitting their stride.

The San Francisco Giants' leading hitter this season has been Hunter Pence, who has 19 home runs and 169 hits. Former World Series MVP Venezuelan slugger Pablo Sandoval is also starting to heat up. The Giants have won seven of their last 10 games, and are in the driver's seat for the first wild card spot.

This team doesn't get as much national notoriety as the Dodgers, but recent postseason success may give them the edge in the final month. The Giants have won two of the last four World Series titles, giving them the playoff experience they need. Pitcher Tim Lincecum isn't having his best season this year, but he always seems to turn things around in the playoffs.

The rest of the National League West hasn't played well at all this season. The San Diego Padres are currently 66-73, the Arizona Diamondbacks 59-81, and the Colorado Rockies are a horrific 56-84.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves both currently have 73 victories, three behind the Giants for the first wild card spot. Even if the Giants don't win the division, we could still see a Giants-Dodgers showdown in the playoffs.

The Dodgers and Giants have played each other 13 times this season. The Giants hold an advantage by winning seven of those 13 games thus far. These two teams will play each other six more times this year.

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