Zack Greinke, Dodgers go for series win in Philadelphia

It's breakfast and baseball on Thursday morning, with Zack Greinke and the Dodgers facing the Phillies in the rubber game of their three-game series in Philadelphia.

The Dodgers are 7-2 in rubber games this season, including 4-1 on the road.

Greinke takes his ridiculous 1.41 ERA into an actual August baseball game, looking to win his sixth straight decision.

Greinke has lasted at least seven innings in each of his last six starts, and has lasted at least six innings in every single one of his 21 starts this season.

Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the only Dodgers pitcher to open his season with more consecutive six-inning starts was Andy Messersmith, who lasted that long in each of his first 34 starts in 1975.

That likely won't be the only thing Greinke has in common with Messersmith, who became baseball's first free agent after that season.

Greinke pitched eight scoreless innings against the Phillies on July 9, with eight strikeouts. He allowed a leadoff single in the second inning, then retired his final 21 batters faced.

Yasiel Puig gets a day off in the series finale, one day after hitting a thee-run home run. Andre Ethier moves over to right field, batting fifth, with Carl Crawford in left, batting sixth.

Yasmani Grandal bats cleanup for the eighth time this season. He's hitting .295/.400/.512. The only Dodger in history with at least a .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage with at least 50 games at catcher was Mike Piazza, who did so three years running from 1995-97.

Grandal has a five-game hitting streak, and is hitting .384/.477/.644 with five home runs in his last 24 games.

Game info

Time: 10:05 a.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network