San Francisco @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 17, 2014 ) LA Dodgers 2, San Francisco 1

The San Francisco Giants have already won two series from Los Angeles this season and look to continue their success when they visit the Dodgers on Thursday in the opener of a four-game set. San Francisco won two of three in Los Angeles in early April and again in the Bay Area in the middle of the month. The Giants are 4-2 on a 10-game road trip while the Dodgers are opening a seven-game homestand after going 5-4 while visiting Minnesota, Miami and Washington.

San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt homered and had a two-run double for all the team’s runs in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates and indicated he’s ready for a fierce series with the Dodgers. “I think it’s always a little more (intense) when we play L.A.,” Belt told reporters. “We’re going to be battling it out until the end, so it’s one of those series when we want to go in and take as many as we can.” Los Angeles got right fielder Yasiel Puig back for Wednesday’s loss to Washington – he went 1-for-3 with an RBI – after he missed two games due to a collision with the wall in Miami on Sunday.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), SportsNet Los Angeles

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Ryan Vogelsong (1-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Josh Beckett (0-1, 3.14 ERA)

Vogelsong has put together back-to-back strong efforts by allowing one run and seven hits over 13 innings. He failed to win any of his first five outings before giving up one run and five hits in six innings while beating Atlanta last Saturday. Vogelsong is 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 21 career appearances (12 starts) against the Dodgers.

Beckett is winless in 13 starts since posting a victory in his final outing of the 2012 season. He has 30 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings over his first five starts of this season after missing most of the last year due to injuries. Beckett is 4-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 10 career starts against the Giants.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers 2B Dee Gordon is 9-for-23 against Vogelsong and 3B Juan Uribe is 7-for-16.

2. San Francisco RF Hunter Pence is 8-for-19 with a homer against Beckett.

3. Los Angeles OF Carl Crawford went 8-for-13 in the three-game series against the Nationals.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Giants 4