Dodgers face Giants in a battle of offense

The Dodgers still seek their first win in San Francisco this season, beginning their second road series against the Giants on Tuesday night at AT&T Park. Carlos Frias takes the mound against the San Francisco offense that is heating up.

The Giants won the final three games of their four-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati, scoring 30 runs in the three runs. In May the club is 11-5, and hitting .301/.360/.447, averaging 4.94 runs per game.

This came after a lackluster April that saw San Francisco hit just .247/.313/.362 and score only 3.0 runs per game while limping to a 9-13 start.

On the season, the Giants offense is only 13th in the National League at 3.82 runs per game, but ranks first in the NL in batting average (.270), second in on-base percentage (.333), OPS+ (105), wRC+ (106) and third in wOBA (.321). The Dodgers rank first in those latter four categories, and lead the NL at 5.03 runs per game.

Hunter Pence returned to the Giants' lineup on Saturday and has already made an impact in two games, going 4-for-8 with a home run, a double and a walk. The club enters play on Tuesday in second place in the NL West, 4½ games behind the Dodgers.

Trying to stop that offense is Carlos Frias, making his first career start against the Giants after a pair of relief appearances against them, one this year and one last year. Frias this season has a 3.31 ERA in his three starts, with 14 strikeouts and three walks in 16⅓ innings.

Take these numbers with a grain of salt as it has only been three starts, but here are the numbers against Frias each time through the order:

• First time through: 3-for-23 with three walks, HBP, five strikeouts (.130/.259/.130)
• Second time through: 11-for-27, two doubles, home run, four strikeouts (.407/.407/.593)
• Third time through: 2-for-14, five strikeouts (.143/.143/.143)
  

Tim Hudson gets the start for the Giants, the 465th start of his career. That will tie him with Don Drysdale and Milt Pappas for 71st all-time in starts. Hudson is second among active pitchers in starts, trailing only Mark Buehrle (469 starts).

Hudson, who turns 40 in July, has a 4.57 ERA in seven starts this season and has allowed eight home runs in 45⅓ innings. The right-hander allowed 15 home runs in 189⅓ innings in all of 2014.

Game info

Time: 7:15 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA