LOS ANGELES -- Tim Hudson served up back-to-back home runs in the first inning before he and the San Francisco Giants shut down the Los Angeles Dodgers.

First baseman Brandon Belt and right fielder Justin Maxwell homered, and the Giants defeated the Dodgers 6-2 before a sellout crowd of 53,123 at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

Belt's two-run blast capped the scoring and allowed the Giants (38-32) to cruise past the Dodgers for the fifth straight time and ninth in 11 meetings this season. They also closed within a 1/2 game of the first-place Dodgers (38-31) in the National League West.

"If you look back at our start, it's good to be here, but there is so much baseball left," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But it's good to come in here and play well."

Hudson delivered a solid outing for the Giants, who can sweep the series Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Hudson (5-6), who won for only the second time in his career at Dodger Stadium, struck out three and walked two. He gave up back-to-back home runs to Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson and third baseman Justin Turner before finding a groove.

"In the first inning, I left a couple of pitches out over the plate, and they were able to put some good swings on them and get on the board to tie it up," said Hudson, who is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles this season. "Really, I made some pretty good adjustments with some off-speed (pitches), sort of mixing it up from that point on. Just trying to keep them off balance. They have a lot of pop in their lineup."

The Dodgers, though, failed to score again after the first.

"Well, I'm always going to give their guys credit, but I know our guys still battled," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "To get down early, and then come right back with Joc and J.T. back-to-back right there, I kind of felt like it was going to be one of those games. We got a few chances early, but then didn't capitalize, and they just kind of tacked on."

Dodgers starter Carlos Frias was tagged for six runs on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Frias (4-5), who has lost three decisions in a row, also hit two batters and served up the homers to Belt and Maxwell. It was the second start in a row Frias dropped to San Francisco. He allowed a run on seven hits in six innings May 19 in San Francisco.

Sacrifice flies by center fielder Angel Pagan and catcher Buster Posey staked the Giants to a 2-0 advantage in the first inning.

The Dodgers tied the score on the homers by Pederson, who blasted a solo shot on a 3-and-1 pitch from Hudson to the back of the visitors' bullpen in right, and Turner, who launched his into the seats in right. However, San Francisco pulled away on Maxwell's two-run home run in the fifth and Belt's in the sixth.

Mattingly said the Dodgers need to find an answer for the Giants.

"At this point, it's a half-game lead in the division, and they've basically gained seven games on us in the games we've played," Mattingly said. "Obviously, that's something we have to change. At the end, it's all about us trying to win a division."

Maxwell's homer was the difference, giving San Francisco a 4-2 lead. Maxwell wasn't even in the starting lineup. He came on in the bottom of the first inning after Giants left fielder Nori Aoki, who scored a run after being hit by a Frias' pitch, left the game because of a contusion on his lower leg. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Aoki is day-to-day.

Maxwell smacked a Frias changeup in the seats in left for his sixth homer of the season.

NOTES: On Friday, Buster Posey became the first Giants catcher with a grand slam and a stolen base in the same game in 112 years. Roger Bresnahan accomplished the feat against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 28, 1903. The only other major-league catcher to do that over the last 28 seasons was Brian McCann for the Atlanta Braves against the Phillies on July 25, 2008, according to Elias Sports Bureau. ... The Dodgers recalled RHP Matt West and optioned RHP Josh Ravin to Triple-A Oklahoma City. West pitched two scoreless innings in Saturday's game. ... Giants RHP Tim Lincecum (7-3, 3.31 ERA) will face Dodgers LHP Brett Anderson (2-4, 3.43) on Sunday in the series finale.