Los Angeles @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2016 ) LA Dodgers 3, San Francisco 9

The San Francisco Giants remain in front for the National League's second wild-card spot but face a huge task on Saturday. The Giants face nemesis Clayton Kershaw when they host the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers and attempt to either maintain their lead or clinch a postseason spot.

San Francisco remained one game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 9-3 rout of the Dodgers in Friday's series opener. Brandon Belt belted a three-run homer as part of a 3-for-3 performance as the Giants thrived behind a 13-hit attack. Kershaw, a three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, is tuning up for his start in Game 1 of the Division Series and appears fully recovered from the back injury that sidelined him for nearly 2 1/2 months. The Dodgers sit two games behind the Washington Nationals for home-field advantage in the NLDS with two contests to play.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (12-3, 1.65 ERA) vs. Giants LH Ty Blach (0-0, 2.00)

Kershaw quickly has regained his stellar form as he scattered three hits over seven scoreless innings to defeat Colorado in his last outing. He hasn't allowed an earned run and has allowed seven hits in 18 frames over his last three turns. Kershaw is 18-7 with a 1.58 ERA in 35 career appearances (34 starts) against the Giants and has dominated Belt (3-for-48, 26 strikeouts), Brandon Crawford (3-for-26) and Hunter Pence (6-for-63).

Blach is making his second major-league start and fourth overall appearance as manager Bruce Bochy tabbed him to start over right-hander Albert Suarez (3-5, 4.29). Bochy certainly was persuaded by his strong relief effort against the Dodgers on Sept. 21, when he tossed three hitless innings. The 25-year-old Blach lasted just three frames in his start against San Diego on Sunday, when he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Giants are a torrid 14-4 at home against the Dodgers since the start of the 2015 season.

2. Los Angeles RF Yasiel Puig recorded two hits on Friday and is 8-for-16 over his last seven games.

3. San Francisco INF Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) will sit out his fifth straight game and Bochy deemed him questionable for a possible wild-card contest on Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Giants 0