Humble Hudson gets untracked

SAN FRANCISCO -- Perhaps the individual least impressed with Tim Hudson's performance Tuesday night was Hudson himself.

Hudson rebounded from a couple of subpar games to pace the Giants to their Major League-high sixth shutout of the season, a 2-0 decision over the Dodgers. He surrendered five hits in 6 1/3 innings, a welcome contrast from the nine runs and 21 hits he yielded in 12 innings during his previous two starts.

But Hudson downplayed any difference between this effort, which ended a four-decision losing streak to the Dodgers dating to 2011, and recent ones.

Told that Giants manager Bruce Bochy praised his sinker -- "More than anything, he kept the ball down," the skipper said -- Hudson (2-3) implied that he benefited largely from luck to gain career win No. 216.

"Honestly, it was about the same tonight," Hudson said of his sinker. "They were hitting it to our guys."

Giving himself a modicum of credit, the right-hander added, "I had a little better command with it, a little better action."

Something must have worked. Hudson capitalized upon AT&T Park's pitcher-friendly environs to stifle the power of the Dodgers, whose 54 homers lead the National League. Hudson allowed eight home runs in his previous five starts. Joc Pederson did hit a loud double to open the game, and Adrian Gonzalez belted a drive to the right-center-field wall in the sixth inning.

"I got away with a few pitches," said Hudson, who allowed a career-high 15 hits to Miami in his last home appearance on May 7.

Hudson also proved capable of frustrating the Dodgers. After striking out to open the fifth inning, opposing pitcher Carlos Frias broke his bat by slamming it against the dirt surrounding home plate. Pederson followed by tossing his bat almost into the Dodgers dugout upon grounding out to second base.

"Huddy did a nice job," Bochy said. Referring to Frias' six-inning, one-run muting of the Giants, Bochy added, "We needed it."