Editorials

Preview: Zack Greinke Returns With Dodgers Looking To Clinch NL West

Caylor Arnold-USA Today Sports
Caylor Arnold-USA Today Sports

Fresh off being swept in a three-game series by the Colorado Rockies, the Los Angeles Dodgers can lay to rest plenty of concern with a win Monday night against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. One win in any of the four games with the Giants this week will clinch a third consecutive National League West title for the Dodgers.

While the Giants are far from 100 percent, they’ve won their last two games and thoroughly dominated the Dodgers at home this season as Los Angeles is 0-6 in San Francisco. Included in that is an active 34-inning scoreless streak for the Dodgers at AT&T Park.



Working heavily in the Dodgers’ favor is they send Zack Greinke to the mound in the series opener. He returns after being scratched from a start last week due to calf soreness. On the season Greinke is 18-3 with an MLB-best 1.65 ERA and 0.85 WHIP.

He’s a lifetime 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in nine starts against the Giants, including 2-0 this season. Moreover, Greinke is a career 2-0 with a minuscule 1.47 ERA and 0.93 WHIP when facing the Giants in San Francisco.

Both wins came last season, when the 31-year-old right-hander threw a combined 13 scoreless innings over two starts at AT&T Park. Greinke accumulated 15 strikeouts to just one walk over the two outings.

In 42 starts following a Dodgers loss, Greinke is 24-7 with a 2.03 ERA; the club overall is 31-11 in such games. The NL Cy Young candidate is opposed by Jake Peavy. The veteran right-hander enters the start with a 7-6 record, 3.83 ERA, 3.90 FIP and 1.67 WHIP.

Peavy has seen the Dodgers plenty of times throughout his career, and enjoyed his share of success. Over 28 lifetime starts against Los Angeles, Peavy is 14-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. However, he’s 0-1 in three starts against the Dodgers since joining the Giants last season.

Peavy is 4-0 in his last six decisions, and allowed four runs on six hits in 5.2 innings when he last faced the Dodgers — Aug. 31 at Dodger Stadium. Peavy is 5-2 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in eight home starts this season.

Dodgers’ leadoff hitter Carl Crawford is a career 8-for-24 with one home run against the Giants’ starter. He’s joined in the lineup by Adrian Gonzalez after the All-Star first baseman missed the last two games due to a pinched nerve in his back. Gonzalez leads all Dodgers with three home runs off Peavy.

Corey Seager and Chase Utley make up the Dodgers’ middle infield, with Justin Turner at third base. Turner started just one of the three weekend games with the Rockies, and pinch-hit in the other two.

Dodgers Lineup:

LF: Carl Crawford

SS: Corey Seager

1B: Adrian Gonzalez

3B: Justin Turner

RF: Andre Ethier

2B: Chase Utley

C: Yasmani Grandal

CF: Joc Pederson

P: Zack Greinke

Giants Lineup:

CF: Angel Pagan

LF: Jarrett Parker

2B: Matt Duffy

1B: Buster Posey

SS: Brandon Crawford

RF: Marlon Byrd

2B: Kelby Tomlinson

C: Trevor Brown

P: Jake Peavy

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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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