Dodgers turn to road offense in Arizona

The Dodgers look for more runs on the road as they open a long road trip on Friday night against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix in the offensive haven of Chase Field.

This season the Dodgers are 7-1 against the Diamondbacks, with road sweeps in Sydney and Phoenix plus a series win in Los Angeles. In their last 10 games at Chase Field the Dodgers have won eight times, and during that span have scored at least six runs eight times, averaging 6.2 runs per game.

In general on the road this season the Dodgers have averaged 4.55 runs per game, third in the National League behind the Mets and Brewers. At home the Dodgers average 3.82 runs per game, and that's despite hitting for more power at Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers are hitting .257/.311/.431 at home, with 25 home runs and 50 doubles in 22 games. On the road they are hitting .261/.339/.386 with 15 home runs and 35 doubles in 20 games. Yet in the road grays the team is scoring three-quarters of a run more per contest.

Part of that is an increased walk rate, 9.82 percent on the road compared to 6.89 percent at home, the impetus for a 28-point advantage in on-base percentage.

In addition, the Dodgers with runners in scoring position are hitting .273/.371/.392 on the road, compared to .232/.290/.397 at home.

General manager Ned Colletti earlier in the week called for the team to increase its plate discipline, which it seems to be doing on the road.

"Sometimes that goes hand in hand with struggling because everybody tries to do too much and they try to do it too quickly inside an at-bat," Colletti told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times on Monday. "Sometimes, patience inside an at-bat can pay dividends. We see it all the time. When you see another team get a clutch it, most of the time it's been through a real good thought process that's had a dash of patience thrown in there."

The Dodgers at 13-7 have the fourth-best road record in baseball.

Zack Greinke, who has been good just about everywhere, gets the start for the Dodgers in the opener. He has allowed 14 total runs in his last 12 regular season road starts, with a 1.65 ERA during that span to go with 61 strikeouts and 17 walks in 71 innings.

Since joining the Dodgers Greinke has made three starts at Chase Field, and he has won all three games, allowing three runs in 18⅓ innings, with 20 strikeouts and three walks. He allowed a run and struck out eight in 5⅓ innings in a win in Phoenix on April 12.

Wade Miley starts for the Diamondbacks, his fourth start against the Dodgers in 2014. After allowing eight runs in 10 innings in his first two outings against them this year, the left-hander allowed just one run in six innings in a no-decision at Dodger Stadium on April 18.

Miley walked five Dodgers in that start but has walked five total in his four starts since. He also has a 5.40 ERA during that span, though his last two starts were a pair of seven-inning quality starts.

Game info

Time: 6:40 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA