Preview: Dodgers Look For Offensive Spark Against Giants

The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided losing four consecutive games to the Texas Rangers, winning in unconventional fashion Thursday night by scoring the game’s lone run on a balk. The offense now looks for much better results with the rival San Francisco Giants in town.

Entering Friday’s game, the Dodgers hold a 2.5-game lead over Giants and will look to improve on this season’s 2-7 head-to-head record. In order to do so, the offense will need to produce at a better clip and put runs on the board. When the two teams last met in San Francisco, the Dodgers failed to score a single run over the three games.

Since making his return June 6, Yasiel Puig is hitting .378 including getting his first triple of the season Thursday night. Puig is a career .317 against the Giants with five home runs and 11 RBIs.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly elected to have Puig lead things off Friday night with Joc Pederson batting behind him. Elsewhere in the lineup, Justin Turner moves up to third with Adrian Gonzalez batting cleanup and Howie Kendrick fifth.

Mike Bolsinger takes the mound for the series opener. It marks the first time he faces the Giants since impressing in his Dodgers on debut April 23 at AT&T Park. In 5.2 innings of work, Bolsinger held the Giants to one single run while striking out five.

He’s coming off a no-decision against the San Diego Padres in which he allowed four earned runs in 4.2 innings in an eventual Dodgers’ victory. Should the Dodgers come away with a victory and Bolsinger earn a win, he will become just the second Dodger since 1914 to win their first five home starts as a Dodger, the other being Chris Capuano in 2012.

Opposing Bolsinger is Chris Heston. The rookie pitcher has been vital for the Giants all season by helping fill the void left by Matt Cain’s injury. Heston is 10 days removed from throwing a no-hitter against the New York Mets, but also enters the game having suffered a loss his last start.

Heston allowed the Arizona Diamondbacks to score three runs, one unearned, in five innings. Friday marks the time Heston will see the Dodgers as a starter. He made two relief appearances against them last season after joining the Giants as a September call-up.

Dodgers Lineup:

RF: Yasiel Puig

CF: Joc Pederson

3B: Justin Turner

1B: Adrian Gonzalez

2B: Howie Kendrick

LF: Andre Ethier

C: Yasmani Grandal

SS: Jimmy Rollins

P: Mike Bolsinger

Giants Lineup:

LF: Nori Aoki

2B: Joe Panik

CF: Angel Pagan

C: Buster Posey

1B: Brandon Belt

SS: Brandon Crawford

3B: Matt Duffy

RF: Gregor Blanco

P: Chris Heston

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