Giants-Dodgers won’t lack for compelling theater

Notes and quotes from the Giants’ pregame interviews leading into tonight’s opener of a three-game series against the A’s:

The division race is likely to be over by then, but the Dodgers are in serious competition with the Mets for the home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs - a matchup that seems highly probable at the moment - and they won’t be letting up in the slightest.

Zack Greinke, scratched from his last L.A. start due to a calf injury, will be back in the rotation for Monday night’s opener against Jake Peavy.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he’s had “some talks” with 18-game winner Madison Bumgarner and pitching coach Dave Righetti about not “pushing too hard” in this final week, but Bumgarner is a cinch to start Tuesday night’s game against Clayton Kershaw and continue his quest for 20 wins (if he gets that one, he could finish the job on Sunday against Colorado).

Bochy made it official in San Diego, saying Pence would be shut down for the remainder of the season, but Pence is such a competitor, he’s not yet surrendering to the oblique injury that has had such serious impact on the Giants’ stretch drive.

Traditionally one of the game’s true iron men, Pence was forced to write off this season as a lost cause.

“My goal in every offseason is to get in the best possible shape and be as prepared as possible,” he said.

To have this happen - it’s tough to catch up when you get a broken wrist on Day Two and can’t even get out of spring training.

[...] as he reiterated in today’s pregame press conference (alongside Tim Hudson), winning a World Series title with the 2012 Giants was his career highlight.

Bruce Jenkins is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.