LOS ANGELES -- As the Dodgers close in on their seventh consecutive division title and set their sights on another deep postseason run, the Giants are increasingly looking toward the future, one in which they hope to assemble a core of young players that will allow them to challenge Los Angeles’ reign in the National League West.

They have already identified two promising rookies in shortstop Mauricio Dubon and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, both of whom played big roles in a 5-4 series-opening win over the Dodgers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

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Dubon put the Giants on the board with a home run off Clayton Kershaw and finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, falling a triple shy of a cycle in his seventh Major League game and first at Chavez Ravine. Yastrzemski, meanwhile, came off the bench to deliver a go-ahead, two-run double that keyed the Giants’ decisive four-run rally in the fifth inning.

“That’s a big win,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “You look at these young guys, how they performed, they won the game for us.”

A.J. Pollock’s third home run of the night brought the Dodgers within one with two outs in the ninth, but Giants closer Will Smith struck out Los Angeles catcher Will Smith to end the game.

“It was weird,” the Giants’ Smith said. “Obviously, yeah, I wanted to get him out to end the game. I’m sure we’ll cross paths throughout our career a couple more times. We’ll see who wins the Will Smith battle at the end. It was nice to win the first one.”

Veteran right-hander Jeff Samardzija held the Dodgers to three runs over six innings to earn his first career win at Dodger Stadium.

Bochy opted to deploy an exclusively right-handed lineup against Kershaw, though his club struggled to capitalize early, going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position over the first three innings of the game.

The Giants finally broke through in the fourth behind Dubon’s second career homer, a towering solo shot that hit off the foul pole in left field and tied the game at 1. Dubon, who became a Giants fan after leaving his native Honduras at age 15 to pursue a career in professional baseball in the United States, reveled in the moment, pointing to the San Francisco dugout before rounding the bases at Dodger Stadium.

“That was awesome,” Dubon said. “That was incredible. Listening to the boos at Dodger Stadium, Giants-Dodgers -- it was fun. It was really fun.”

Kershaw returned to the mound for the fifth, but the Giants knocked him out of the game before he could record an out. Austin Slater led off the inning with a single, and Kevin Pillar followed with a 12-pitch walk, prompting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to remove Kershaw with his pitch count at 99.

Los Angeles reliever Dylan Floro entered the game and retired Evan Longoria for the first out before issuing an intentional walk to Buster Posey to load the bases. Bochy countered by sending the left-handed-hitting Yastrzemski to pinch-hit for Joey Rickard, a gamble that paid off after Yastrzemski drove a two-run double to center field to put the Giants ahead, 3-1.

“Good at-bat,” Bochy said. “He saw some pitches there and finally got one he could handle. He’s had a great year for us, hasn’t he? Pretty nice weapon to have in that situation.”

Roberts then ordered another intentional walk of pinch-hitter Brandon Belt to bring up Dubon, who came through again with a two-run single to left field that extended the Giants’ lead to 5-1.

“What a game he had here at Dodger Stadium,” Bochy said. “It’s a big stage. You wouldn’t know it the way he handled himself. He crushed that home run, the double and got another huge hit there. I’m sure that’s a game he’ll remember.”