Los Angeles @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2015 ) LA Dodgers 0, San Francisco 5

After experiencing a letdown the day after clinching the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers attempt to earn a split of their four-game series against the Giants when they visit San Francisco for the finale Thursday afternoon. Los Angeles secured its third consecutive division title with an 8-0 triumph Tuesday but followed up by recording only two hits in Wednesday's 5-0 setback.

With the defeat, the Dodgers remained one game behind the New York Mets for home field in their upcoming NL Division Series matchup. Los Angeles is slumping at the wrong time, as it enters Thursday having lost nine of its last 12 contests. Conversely, the Giants have won four of their last five games but were eliminated from postseason contention with Tuesday's loss. The Dodgers have the privilege of being the final opponent of San Francisco's Tim Hudson, who wraps up a superb 17-year career by making his 479th start.

TV: 3:45 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Brett Anderson (9-9, 3.75 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Hudson (8-8, 4.30)

Anderson has been battered in each of his last two outings, allowing totals of 11 runs and 20 hits in 8 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old Texan suffered the loss against Arizona on Sept. 21 but escaped with a no-decision at Colorado on Saturday. Anderson is 1-4 with a 4.97 ERA in eight career starts against San Francisco, including a no-decision Aug. 31 in which he allowed three runs and six hits over five frames.

Hudson lasted only 1 1/3 innings in Oakland on Saturday, yielding three runs — two earned — on one hit and three walks against his former team. The outing was a far cry from the previous three for the 40-year-old native of Georgia, who went 2-0 while allowing two runs and 11 hits over 16 1/3 frames in that span. Hudson, who made his third career relief appearance — and first since 2008 with Atlanta — at Los Angeles on Sept. 1, improved to 8-6 with a 3.73 ERA in 19 career starts versus the Dodgers by giving up two runs in 6 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium on June 20.

WALK-OFFS

1. Giants 3B Matt Duffy set the tone Wednesday with a two-run homer in the first inning and finished 3-for-4 for his second three-hit performance in seven contests.

2. Los Angeles must finish ahead of New York in order to receive home field, as the Mets own the tiebreaker.

3. San Francisco 1B Brandon Belt, who already was out for the season with a concussion, underwent minor knee surgery Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Giants 5, Dodgers 3