Dodgers Nation Wishes Zack Greinke A Happy 31st Birthday
On most teams, Zack Greinke would be considered the ace of the pitching staff, but for the Dodgers he is paired with Clayton Kershaw to make up one of the best 1-2 combinations in baseball.
Following the 2012 season, Greinke agreed to join the Dodgers on a six-year deal and has enjoyed success in his first two years with the team. During his second start, he was involved in a brawl after hitting the San Diego Padres’ Carlos Quentin resulting in Greinke missing a month.
He was dominant after he returned finishing 2013 with a 15-4 record and 2.63 ERA including an impressive run in which he no more than two earned run in his final 12 starts. The streak carried on into the 2014 season when he set an MLB record at 22 after beginning the year with 10 more such games.
Greinke also showed his hitting ability, something he hasn’t done much in his career spending most of his time in the American League with the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels. During his first year, his .328 batting average earned him the 2013 Silver Slugger Award.
As for his 2014 campaign, Greinke won a career-high 17 games while pitching with a 2.71 ERA and striking out 207 batters. His hot start to the year earned him a trip the All-Star Game for the second time in his career.
His last start of the year came in the postseason where he pitched a gem in the lone Dodger NLDS win. He pitched seven shutout innings while striking out seven and only allowing two hits, but came away with a no decision.
Regardless, Dodgers Nation would like to congratulate Greinke for all he has done and thank him for being impressive as a Dodger. We wish him a happy 31st birthday and continued success!