Dodgers vs. Giants preview: Josh Beckett vs. Tim Lincecum

The Dodgers look to avenge their one series loss this season with a three-game series in San Francisco against the rival Giants starting Tuesday night. Josh Beckett gets the call in the opener, facing off against Tim Lincecum.

Josh Beckett looks to recover from his rough first start, last Wednesday against Detroit. He allowed five runs in four innings, including a three-run home run to Nick Castellanos in the third inning.

Beckett has twice faced the Giants since joining the Dodgers, his only starts against San Francisco since 2005. He allowed four runs in 6⅓ innings in a loss at AT&T Park in 2012, and gave up five runs in six innings in a loss at Dodger Stadium in 2013.

Hunter Pence is 7-for-17 (.412) with a home run against Beckett, Mike Morse is 3-for-6 (.500) with a home run and Pablo Sandoval is 1-for-6 (.167) with a home run. Angel Pagan is 2-for-10 (.200) with a walk, while Buster Posey has a .500 on-base percentage against Beckett with a single and two walks in six plate appearances.

Beckett is in search of his first win since 2012.

Lincecum has allowed 11 runs and four home runs in 10 innings in his two starts, but also has 12 strikeouts against just one walk. But that hasn't stopped Lincecum in recent years from excelling against the Dodgers.

Since the beginning of 2012, Lincecum is 4-2 with a 3.04 ERA in eight starts against the Dodgers and has struck out 22.6% of his batters faced. In 59 starts against everyone else Lincecum is 16-28 with a 5.15 ERA.

The Dodgers lead the majors with 18 stolen bases in 13 games, and Lincecum has allowed at least 20 steals in each of the last six seasons. Since the start of the 2012 season, Lincecum has allowed 48 stolen bases, tied for fifth-most in baseball during that span, with only four caught stealing.

The Dodgers have stolen 15 bases in 18 attempts against Lincecum, but just three steals in those eight games in the last two seasons. Dee Gordon, who leads the majors this year with nine stolen bases, is 1-for-13 (.077) with a walk against Lincecum, and one stolen base, in 2011.

A trio of Dodgers have three of the top eight most plate appearances against Lincecum. Andre Ethier (54 plate appearances) has hit .265/.333/.449 with three home runs and two doubles, but Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp have struggled mightily against the right-hander. Kemp has one double in 54 plate appearances, hitting .196/.296/.217 with 18 strikeouts.

Gonzalez has an extra-base hit in each of his last eight games, one game shy of tying the longest streak in franchise history. But he has no extra-base hits in 57 plate appearances against Lincecum, hitting just .212/.263/.212 with 16 strikeouts.

The Dodgers have lost three straight series against the Giants dating back to last season, going 3-7 in those 10 games.

Game info

Time: 7:15 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA