Zack Greinke making impression at the plate

The Dodgers go for a sweep of the Mets on Thursday night at Citi Field, with Zack Greinke on the mound looking for his National League-best eighth win.

Enough has been said about Greinke's mound exploits — his 21 consecutive starts allowing two or fewer runs, his career-high 28.2 percent strikeout rate — so let's focus on his work at the plate.

Greinke won the National League Silver Slugger Award as the top-hitting pitcher, and this year has reached base in three of his last four games, and is hitting .250/.333/.438 this season.

Since joining the Dodgers, Greinke is hitting .311/.393/.392 with six doubles in 91 plate appearances. Among all Dodgers pitchers with at least 50 plate appearances since joining the National League in 1890, Greinke's 123 OPS+ ranks second only to Ad Gumbert, who put up a 128 OPS+ in 1895-96.

Greinke also has nine walks in 91 PA since joining the Dodgers, a walk rate of 9.89 percent, surpassed on the team only by A.J. Ellis, Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke and Ramon Hernandez (minimum 50 PA) during that span. The entire National League has a walk rate of 7.73 percent since the beginning of 2013.

Greinke was 2-for-4 with a double in his last start, more total bases than Mets pitchers have all year.

New York hurlers are 2-for-74 (.027) with six walks this season, a .127 OPS that ranks dead last in the National League. And that includes a single on Wednesday by rookie Jacob deGrom, who has both hits.

Starting lineups

Against the left-handed Jon Niese, the Dodgers as expected have the all-right-handed outfield of Scott Van Slyke, Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig in the starting lineup.

In addition Dee Gordon, in a 6-for-39 (.154) slump and hitting 8-for-40 (.200) with no walks against southpaws this season, gets a day off after starting the last 25 games. Chone Figgins and his team-leading .444 on-base percentage gets the start batting leadoff, in his first start at second base since October 3, 2010.

Eric Campbell, who hit his first big league home run on Wednesday for New York, makes his first major league start in the outfield on Thursday, getting the call in left field, batting fifth.