Dodgers Team News

Dodgers Vs. Diamondbacks Preview: Greinke Looks To Remain Perfect

[new_royalslider id=”4″] The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks have met for two series already this season, with each coming on the road for the Dodgers, first in Australia as part of the Opening Series and the second in Arizona. The Dodgers are 5-0 against the Diamondbacks this season, and will look to keep their unblemished record in tact when they being a three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Friday with their NL West counterparts.

Zack Greinke, who picked up a win against the Diamondbacks on April 12, takes the mound once again against the struggling team from the desert. In his April 12 start, Greinke threw 5.1 innings, striking out eight, while allowing one run on eight hits. It wasn’t Greinke’s sharpest performance, but the right-hander maintained his composure and worked himself out of a handful of jams. Now making his fourth start of the season, Greinke may have built up enough stamina to make it further than six innings pitched, which he has yet to do this season. Greinke’s success as a Dodger against the Diamondbacks dates back to last season as he is 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in four starts.

The Diamondbacks poor record so far this season can be tied to their struggling pitching staff. One of the culprits is Wade Miley, who is 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA. Miley’s .500 record this season is due in large part to his inability to defeat the Dodgers. In Miley’s two starts agains the Boys in the Blue, he’s allowed a combined eight runs in 10 innings pitched, and hasn’t pitched more than five innings in either game. Both of Miley’s other two starts were improvements as he managed to reach at least the seventh inning in each.

Hanley Ramirez missed Thursday’s game after being hit by a pitch on his left hand Wednesday night, and as he vowed, the shortstop is back in the lineup on Friday. With the left-handed Miley taking the mound, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is again going with a lineup that is heavy on right-handed hitters — Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Dee Gordon are all out of the lineup. Scott Van Slyke, who is starting in left field, has hit two home runs and two doubles off Miley. One game after batting third in the order, Yasiel Puig leads off on Friday. Puig is hitting .400 in 10 career at-bats against Miley.

Coinciding with Friday’s home game is the launching of a new community program, Kids 4 Dodgers Baseball, in which the Dodgers will host 250 youth at 51 home games this season.

Dodgers lineup

RF: Puig

2B: Turner

SS: Ramirez

1B: Gonzalez

CF: Kemp

LF: Van Slyke

3B: Uribe

C: Federowicz

P: Greinke

Diamondbacks lineup

RF: Parra

2B: Hill

1B: Goldschmidt

C: Montero

LF: Ross

3B: Prado

SS: Owings

CF: Pollock

P: Miley
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Staff Writer

Staff Writer features content written by our site editors along with our staff of contributing writers. Thank you for your readership.

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