Major League Baseball

Maxwell, Belt power SF Giants past LA Dodgers yet again, 6-2

Published Jun. 20, 2015 10:18 p.m. ET

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LOS ANGELES (AP) Tim Hudson and Bruce Bochy see no particular reason why the San Francisco Giants are dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers this season.

After another successful outing on another sizzling day in Chavez Ravine, the right-hander and his manager are just glad this one-sided rivalry has put the Giants in position to climb back on top of the NL West.

Justin Maxwell and Brandon Belt hit two-run homers and the Giants trimmed the Dodgers' division lead to a half-game with a 6-2 victory Saturday.

Hudson pitched six-hit ball into the seventh inning and had a key single for the Giants, who have won five straight over their archrivals and nine of 11 this season.

''It's nice to win any time here, but especially this year with such a tight race with these guys,'' Hudson said after his second career victory at Dodger Stadium. ''Fortunately we've been able to play some good baseball against these guys when we need it. We'd love to be in first place, and we've put ourselves in a pretty good position to do that.''

Los Angeles (38-31) has been alone in first place since May 30, but San Francisco (38-32) could reclaim the top spot with a series sweep Sunday.

Hudson (5-6) yielded two walks and struck out three, bouncing back after allowing back-to-back homers to Joc Pederson and Justin Turner in a rocky first inning. He singled with two outs in the fifth, allowing Maxwell to deliver the tiebreaking homer.

''He's amazing at his age to go out there on a hot day and give us an effort like that,'' Bochy said of the 39-year-old Hudson. ''I can't explain it. We've pitched well. We've got timely hits. ... But there's a lot of baseball left. Going to be a tough division. L.A., they're the team to beat, but we're going to come in here and try to play well.''

Maxwell and Belt connected against Carlos Frias (4-5), who gave up six runs and five hits. While the Giants are surging, the Dodgers have lost six of eight.

''In a big sense, it's probably going to go through those guys, and we're going to have to find a way to get it done,'' Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. ''We have a half-game lead in the division, but they've basically gained seven games on us in the games that we've played against them. So obviously, that's something that we have to be able to change.''

The Giants went up 2-0 in the first, but Pederson put a shot deep into the visiting bullpen for his 18th homer and his first since June 3, when he homered in his fifth straight game. When Turner connected for the second straight day, the hitting-poor Dodgers had their first back-to-back homers since April 19.

Frias retired nine consecutive Giants until Hudson singled and Maxwell put a two-strike homer into the bleachers in left, snapping his 2-for-19 skid.

Belt then dropped a long fly barely over the wall in right in the sixth for his ninth homer. Right fielder Yasiel Puig could have had a shot to steal it, but lost it in the sun.

AOKI OUT

Maxwell entered the Giants' lineup in the first inning after Nori Aoki got hit in the lower leg by Frias' second pitch of the game. Aoki ran the bases and scored San Francisco's first run on Angel Pagan's sacrifice fly, but he didn't come out when the Giants took the field, sitting with a bruised leg. Aoki said he'll decide Sunday morning whether he can play.

NEW PEN

Before the game, Los Angeles recalled RHP Matt West and optioned RHP Josh Ravin. West made his Dodgers debut, finishing the game by pitching two scoreless innings. Los Angeles acquired West from Toronto last month.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Giants: Gregor Blanco moved from right field to left when Aoki got hurt. Blanco played his second game back from a DL stint with a concussion.

Dodgers: RHP Joel Peralta (right shoulder) is returning to Los Angeles after a rehab stint with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Tim Lincecum (7-3, 3.31 ERA) has made it through the sixth inning just once in his last six starts at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers: LHP Brett Anderson (2-4, 3.43 ERA) has just one win in seven starts at Chavez Ravine despite a 3.32 ERA.

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