Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 1: Zack Greinke leads the way

In the Dodgers' most important series of the season to date, Zack Greinke stepped up and delivered a game in the opener. Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out seven, leading the Dodgers to a 6-1 win over the Diamondbacks Monday night at Chase Field in Phoenix.

It was the second win in a row for the Dodgers and their 13th victory in the last 16 games. Against the National League West, the Dodgers have won 10 of their last 12 games, and are now 3½ games behind Arizona in the division.

Greinke allowed just two hits and two walks on the night, but what made his night even more remarkable were Greinke's three hits at the plate. Greinke was 3-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt, and on the season is hitting .370/.452/.407 on the season.

The last two Dodger pitchers to collect at least three hits at the plate while allowing no runs on the mound were Kevin Brown, on Apr. 7, 2002 against the Rockies; and Fernando Valenzuela, on Apr. 27, 1981 against the Giants. Valenzuela pitched a shutout, his fifth consecutive complete game and fourth shutout in his fifth career start, while Brown, like Greinke, pitched seven scoreless.

Counting the postseason, Orel Hershiser pitched a three-hit shutout in Game 2 of the 1988 World Series against the Athletics, while also collecting three hits at the plate as well.

Greinke on the season even has a higher on-base percentage than Yasiel Puig, who was 2-for-5 with a run scored for his 17th multi-hit game in 33 major league games. Puig is now hitting .409/.436/.667 on the season, numbers that amazingly look small compared to the white-hot Hanley Ramirez.

Ramirez went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI on Monday to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 19 games. Ramirez is 36-for-74 (.486) during his hitting streak and on the season in 33 games is hitting .419/.456/.743.

Andre Ethier also had three hits, including a double, and quietly has a seven-game hitting streak of his own, all during the current road trip. Ethier during the streak is hitting .429 (12-for-26), and since Puig's arrival on June 3 is hitting .315/.377/.423 in 32 games.

Juan Uribe, who drove in 11 runs last week, was 2-for-5 with an RBI on Monday in Phoenix. Against the National League West this season Uribe is hitting .290/.345/.505 with five home runs and 23 RBI in 36 games, including 29 starts. Against everyone else, Uribe is hitting .246/.346/.304 with no home runs and five RBI in 30 games, including 18 starts.

Notes

• Paco Rodriguez pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts, his 15th consecutive scoreless appearance. During that span Rodriguez has allowed six hits and two walks in 11⅓ innings, with 15 strikeouts.
• A.J. Ellis drove in two runs, his fourth consecutive game with at least one RBI.
• With 17 hits, the Dodgers matched their season high, matching their output Wednesday in Colorado, also on the current road trip.
• The Dodgers had 16 singles in a game for the first time since Sept. 18, 2011 against the Pirates.
• Carl Crawford was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and in four games since returning from the disabled list is 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts and a walk.

Up next

The Dodgers welcome Ricky Nolasco to the team on Tuesday as No. 47 makes his debut with the team he grew up rooting for. Nolasco will be the 23rd pitcher for the Dodgers in 2013, two shy of the club record set in 1998, 2009 and 2012. Ian Kennedy gets the start for the Diamondbacks.

Monday particulars

Home runs: none

WP - Zack Greinke (7-2): 7 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts

LP - Randall Delgado (1-3): 6 IP, 11 hits, 3 runs, 3 strikeouts