Editorials

Preview: Zack Greinke, Dodgers Look To End Road Trip On High Note

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers currently sit at 81-60 and 7.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the National League West with under a month left in the regular season. The Dodgers magic number to clinch the division is at 14 entering the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After splitting the first two games of the series, Zack Greinke takes the mound in the rubber match, with Patrick Corbin starting for the Diamondbacks.



On the season Greinke is 16-3 with an MLB-best 1.68 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and .192 opponents’ batting average. The 31 year old has won three consecutive starts and 11 of his last 12 decisions over 13 starts since June 28.

Greinke has allowed one or fewer runs in 19 of his 28 starts this year, which includes 10 scoreless outings; he also leads the Majors with 26 quality starts. Since joining the Dodgers in 2013, Greinke has gone 6-0 with a 1.38 ERA in eight starts against the D-Backs.

Corbin enters with a 5-3 record and 3.32 ERA on the season, but he hasn’t thrown more than 91 pitches this season. Corbin, who missed all of 2014 after having Tommy John surgery, threw his best game of the season in his last outing, limiting San Francisco to six hits in six scoreless innings.

The Diamondbacks left-hander is 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last three outings since returning. With Jimmy Rollins still on the mend, Corey Seager earns another start at shortstop. He’s joined up the middle by Jose Peraza as Chase Utley sits.

Seager is batting .467/.568/.733 since being called up and hit his first Major League home run in Saturday’s win. Additionally, the 21-year-old shortstop has reached safely in his last nine plate appearances.

Joc Pederson also hit a home run Saturday, his 25th of the season, which tied Del Bissonette (1928) for the second-most homers by a Dodger rookie. Pederson trails only Mike Piazza, who hit 35 home runs in 1993. Pederson is batting .313 (10-for-32) with a .436 on-base percentage, two home runs and five RBIs in 11 September games.

The Dodgers added to their roster on Sunday by recalling infielder Ronald Torreyes from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The active roster now sits at 35 players.

Dodgers Lineup:

LF: Justin Ruggiano

2B: Jose Peraza

3B: Justin Turner

1B: Adrian Gonzalez

RF: Scott Van Slyke

SS: Cory Seager

C: A.J. Ellis

CF: Joc Pederson

P: Zack Greinke

Diamondbacks Lineup:

CF: A.J. Pollack

RF: Ender Inciarte

1B: Paul Goldshcmidt

LF: David Peralta

C: Jarrod Saltalamacchia

3B: Jake Lamb

2B: Chris Owings

SS: Nick Ahmed

P: Patrick Corbin

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