The Dodgers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Wednesday for their second straight win and 12th win in 14 games.
Zack Grienke delivered a fantastic start, cruising along through eight inning with just one run allowed on six hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. Wednesday's win was his fifth straight, bringing his season record to 12-3.
He made one bad pitch, giving up a solo home run in the first inning to Miami's slugger, Giancarlo Stanton. Only two Marlin players reached second base in the game, and Grienke picked one of them off with a fantastic move and perfect throw.
Since July 8, Greinke has made nine starts and has allowed two runs or less in eight of those. In his last four starts he has pitched a total of 35 innings, and given up just five runs with 28 hits, 28 strikeouts and just six walks.
Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke at the top of this Dodger rotation will make for a nasty duo come playoffs, especially in the five-game divisional series.
The Dodgers had another lackluster night with the bats with only seven hits, but they took advantage of four errors by the Marlins to score four runs. Nathan Eovaldi, an ex-Dodger who was sent to Miami as part of the Hanley Ramirez trade, held them to three runs, two earned, and six hits, with two walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.
Eovaldi had a no-hitter going through the first three innings, but the Dodgers took advantage of poor defense to score in the fourth. Yasiel Puig led off with an infield single, that was ruled an error because shortstop Ed Lucas made a bad, rushed throw trying to catch the speedy Puig. Eovaldi then walked Adrian Gonzalez giving the Dodgers a great chance to score with two runners on and no outs.
Hanley Ramirez hit a double deep into the left-center gap that scored Puig, and Andre Ethier singled to score Gonzalez and advance Ramirez to third. With Ethier on first Eovaldi threw a bad pickoff attempt into right field, allowing the Dodgers to score their third run of the inning.
In the eighth, Hanley Ramirez led off the inning with a single, stole second base, was advanced on a sacrifice bunt from A.J. Ellis, and scored on a Jerry Hairston sacrifice fly for a small-ball insurance run.
Most of the bullpen was given a night off with Grienke's eight innings, with Kenley Jansen pitching one inning for the save. It was not a perfect Jansen outing, he gave up one walk and a deep fly ball to the warning track that Andre Ethier barely caught up to for the final out of the game. Jansen threw 24 pitches which is the most he has thrown since July 23 in Toronto when he needed 28.
The Dodgers give the ball to Clayton Kershaw on Thursday, who will attempt to convert the Dodgers third consecutive win against Henderson Alvarez.
Tweets From #Dodgers Nation
I could not disagree more, Kemp can't wait to get in on this winning action
It's pretty obvious that Matt Kemp doesn't want to play baseball. #lazy #cop-out #letdown #selfish #dodgers — That Guy (@HeIsAudiHere) August 21, 2013
King Greinke deserves some credit too!
I see @KingJames is in the building watchin the #Dodgers put in work. Should've gone tomorrow to watch Kershaw. — Josh Morais (@TheEeeasyWay) August 22, 2013
Greinke held the lead, and then some!
Now lets keep the lead please :) #composure #dodgers — Stephanie Zamora (@zamorasj10) August 22, 2013
Zack stikres outs the side. #Dodgers #Whiff — Oscar Perez (@23_Oscar) August 22, 2013
Uh, oh. Another pop song turned Dodgers Anthem, don't tell Punto!
In the words of Taylor Swift, we just keep dancin like we're 22 (games over .500) #Dodgers #winning — Ellen Davies (@EllieDeee) August 22, 2013
