Preview: Zack Greinke Puts Scoreless Innings Streak On Line

The Los Angeles Dodgers opened up their Fourth of July weekend and three-game series with the New York Mets by losing on a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that proved to be the difference. It was a pitching duel with Clayton Kershaw and Noah Syndergaard allowing just one run each.

Saturday’s matchup figures to be a similar affair with the Dodgers sending out Zack Greinke and the Mets countering with Matt Harvey. Both pitchers come into the game on an impressive string of starts.

Greinke snapped a nine game winless streak in his last outing and enters Saturday with an MLB-leading 1.58 ERA. His low mark is helped by the fact he hasn’t allowed a run in his last 20.2 innings.

Greinke has made four career starts against the Mets, going 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA. In his last outing against them, he went seven innings and allowed four runs, one unearned, in an eventual 7-4 Dodger win last August.

As for Harvey, he has only allowed two runs, one unearned, in his last three starts. He threw six innings during his last start, helping the Mets come away with a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Harvey received a no decision for the start.

In his two prior career outings against the Dodgers, Harvey holds a record of 0-1. Both starts came in 2013 when he threw six innings in both games while allowing three runs in the first matchup and four runs in the second.

Of the current Dodgers, only five have previous experience. Jimmy Rollins saw him the most as a result of playing with the Philadelphia Phillies. In 15 plate appearances, Rollins has a batting average of .214 with one home run and two RBIs.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Yasmani Grandal bats cleanup despite failing to register a hit Friday night. On the year Grandal is batting .267 with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs. The Dodgers have faired well over the last 15 years on Independence Day. Dating back to 2000, the Dodgers are 9-6 and have outscored their opponents 81-66.

Dodgers Lineup:

CF: Joc Pederson

2B: Howie Kendrick

1B: Adrian Gonzalez

C: Yasmani Grandal

RF: Yasiel Puig

LF: Andre Ethier

3B: Alberto Callaspo

SS: Jimmy Rollins

P: Zack Greinke

Mets Lineup:

RF: Curtis Granderson

3B: Daniel Murphy

1B: Lucas Duda

2B: Wilmer Flores

LF: Darrell Ceciliani

SS: Ruben Tejada

C: Kevin Plawecki

P: Matt Harvey

CF: Juan Lagares

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