Preview: Zack Greinke And Max Scherzer Duel In Rubber Match
With all the unusual events the Los Angeles Dodgers have faced on the road this season, Friday’s game was no exception. After multiple delays due to lighting issues, play was suspended until Saturday, setting up a mini doubleheader of sorts. The Dodgers lost the continuation game, but won the second tilt behind a strong performance by Clayton Kershaw.
Now the focus shifts to Sunday’s rubber match, which features two of the best pitchers in the game in Zack Greinke and Max Scherzer. Greinke makes his 19th start of the season and is in the midst of a 35.2 scoreless innings streak. He’s 8-2 and boasts an MLB-best 1.39 ERA; his 0.84 WHIP is second only to Scherzer’s 0.78.
Opponents are batting .191/.231/.276 against Greinke this season, whose 2.64 FIP is the lowest it’s been since his days with the Milwaukee Brewers. Greinke is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in five career starts against the Washington Nationals.
As for Scherzer, he enters with a 10-7 record, 2.11 ERA and the aforementioned 0.78 WHIP. He’s coming off an outing in which he had seven strikeouts allowed two runs over 8.2 innings in a win over the Baltimore Orioles. Scherzer owns a 2.18 FIP (best in the Majors) and is averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
In his career against the Dodgers, Scherzer is 2-3 with a 3.51 ERA in nine appearances (seven starts). He twice faced Los Angeles in 2014, going 1-0 and throwing a combined 14 innings while striking out 15 and allowing only three runs on 12 hits.
Not a lot of Dodgers have had success hitting against Scherzer. However, one to watch is Andre Ethier, who is batting .286 (6-for-21) with a home run and double. Adrian Gonzalez has swung a hot bat out of the All-Star break, collecting five hits (including two home runs), three RBIs and scoring three runs.
Dodgers Lineup:
CF: Joc Pederson
2B: Howie Kendrick
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
LF: Andre Ethier
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Yasiel Puig
3B: Alberto Collaspo
SS: Jimmy Rollins
P: Zack Greinke
Nationals Lineup:
3B: Yunel Escobar
2B: Danny Espinosa
RF: Bryce Harper
1B: Clint Robinson
C: Wilson Ramos
LF: Matt den Dekker
SS: Ian Desmond
CF: Michael Taylor
P: Max Scherzer
[divide]Zack Greinke On Scoreless Innings Streak
