San Francisco @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2014 ) San Francisco 8, LA Dodgers 4

The Los Angeles Dodgers can take some positives into Saturday’s game against the visiting San Francisco Giants after their bullpen held San Francisco's hitters scoreless over the final seven innings of an 8-4 loss Friday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers faced some unexpected distractions before the game when center fielder Matt Kemp, who was making his season debut after undergoing ankle surgery in late October, expressed frustration that he wasn’t in the starting lineup, but was then thrust into a starting role when Yasiel Puig showed up late for warm-ups and was benched for the home opener. Kemp made a fielding error in the six-run first inning and couldn’t come up with another deep drive at the wall that resulted in a run-scoring double by Brandon Hicks in the two-run second.

The Giants received some timely hitting from the bottom of the order in the series opener as Brandon Belt, Brandon Hicks, Joaquin Arias and pitcher Ryan Vogelsong combined for five hits and five RBIs. Hicks could be in line to challenge rookie Ehire Adrianza for the full-time job at second base as he hit a pinch-hit homer in his first at-bat of the season Thursday night and came back with two doubles and two runs scored in his first start Friday. The Dodgers need the heart of their order to heat up as Hanley Ramirez (.174) and Adrian Gonzalez (.143) have combined for just three extra-base hits in the No. 3 and 4 spots.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, SportsNet LA, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (0-0, 0.00) vs. Dodgers LH Paul Maholm (0-0, 0.00).

Bumgarner has more wins against the Dodgers than any other club in four previous years as a full-time starter. He’s 8-3 in 11 career starts against Los Angeles - including 5-2 at Dodger Stadium with a 1.86 ERA - holding Dodger hitters to a .209 average. Bumgarner started the second game of the season at Dodger Stadium last year and threw eight shutout innings in the 3-0 victory by the Giants.

Maholm’s season has been limited to one batter during the team’s season-opening doubleheader sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks two weeks ago in Australia, but the back injury to staff ace Clayton Kershaw has created a hole in the starting rotation, leaving the 10-year veteran to hold down the fort. Maholm made 26 starts for the Atlanta Braves last season, finishing 10-11 with a 4.41 ERA before he was left off their playoff roster. Maholm had one of his poorer starts last season against Bumgarner and the Giants, giving up six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 10-1 loss in San Francisco last May.

EXTRA BASES

1. The Giants have won their last four games at Dodger Stadium by a combined score of 35-12.

2. Giants SS Brandon Crawford hit 5-for-51 against the Dodgers last season (.098) and .266 against the rest of the league.

3. Los Angeles relievers have not allowed a base hit to the last 27 batters they've faced.

PREDICTION: Giants 7, Dodgers 5