Zack Greinke, Dodgers beat Phillies in rare high-scoring affair

We saw both the best and the worst of Zack Greinke on Thursday, and the Dodgers helped tip the scales in their favor in a 10-8 win over the Phillies on getaway day at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The Dodgers got off to a quick lead thanks to a two-out rally in the top of the first inning. The frame began with two quick outs, but a single and a walk brought up Andre Ethier, who doubled into left field for the first run, then Carl Crawford singled home two for a 3-0 lead.

Greinke in his first 21 starts of the season allowed more than two runs only once.

In his last start against the Phillies, on July 9 at Dodger Stadium, Greinke allowed one hit and no runs in eight innings, and retired his final 21 batters faced.

That streak ended abruptly and spectacularly on Thursday afternoon, with the first five Phillies all scoring, punctuated by a three-run home run by Domonic Brown. It was the first home run allowed by Greinke since June 13, snapping a string of eight straight starts and 215 batters without.

Greinke before Thursday had allowed more than one run in an inning only four times all year, and never more than two.

But his 5-3 deficit wouldn't last long, thanks in part to Greinke himself, who singled to open the second inning. After Howie Kendrick singled too, Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run home run to right field to give the Dodgers back the lead, thanks to his team-leading 22nd long ball on the season.

For good measure, Greinke added a solo home run in the third inning, his first home run of the season. He also led off he sixth inning with a single, then scored on a double by Kendrick.

Greinke is the second Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher to score three runs in a game, joining Claude Osteen, who did so on May 26, 1970 at San Francisco.

On the mound, after he was visibly angry at multiple times in the first inning, including after his own throwing error, Greinke settled down.and lasted through six innings. He allowed another run in the third inning, but after those first five batters Greinke retired 18 of 22 batters.

Greinke has lasted at least six innings in all 22 of his starts this season.

It matched Greinke's most runs allowed as a Dodger. He also allowed six runs to the Angels on May 27, 2013, but the Dodgers won that game, too, 8-7.

More bullpen woes

Staked to a 10-6 lead, the Dodgers got two scoreless innings out of J.P. Howell and Juan Nicasio. But in the ninth, Joel Peralta ran into trouble, allowing a pair of singles while recording only one out. The last of those singles was an infield shot to first base by Odubel Herrera, who accidentally spiked Peralta as he got to first base.

Peralta left the game after getting checked by trainer Stan Conte, though closer Kenley Jansen was warming anyway.

Jansen allowed a double to Maikel Franco for two runs, then a bloop single by Ryan Howard to short left field, but got bailed out when Brown's rocket line drive was caught by Gonzalez at first base, who touched first base for the game-ending double play.

Notes

Kendrick was 2-for-5 with a double, hit fifth multi-hit game in his last nine contests, hitting 13-for-35 (.371) with four extra-base hits during that span.

Ethier has reached base via hit or walk in seven straight games, and he has a five-game hitting streak with four multi-hit games during that span. During his hitting streak, Ethier is 9-for-23 (.391) with four extra-base hits.

Gonzalez was 2-for-5, and since the All-Star break is hitting .359/.453/.609 with four home runs, four doubles and 10 RBI in 17 games.

Every Dodgers starter got a hit, including Joc Pederson, whose seventh-inning single snapped an 0-for-23 skid. Pederson reached base seven times in 13 plate appearances in the series.

Alberto Callaspo was 2-for-4 with a walk and in the series was 5-for-10 with a .545 on-base percentage.

Jimmy Rollins, who got a nice, long standing ovation before his first plate appearance in all three games of this series, narrowly missed a home run in the sixth inning, hitting a double off the right field wall. Rollins in his return to Philadelphia was 3-for-13 (.231) with two doubles and two walks.

The last Dodgers pitcher to allow six runs in a game and win was all the way back on April 25, when Brandon McCarthy beat the Padres despite giving up six runs in five innings.

Up next

The Dodgers move on to Pittsburgh for a showdown of playoff-bound teams. The series opener on Friday night features a great pitching matchup, with Clayton Kershaw starting for the Dodgers and Gerrit Cole for the Pirates.

Thursday particulars

Home runs: Adrian Gonzalez (22), Zack Greinke (1); Domonic Brown (3)

WP - Zack Greinke (11-2): 6 IP, 7 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts

LP - David Buchanan (2-6): 4 IP, 10 hits, 7 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Sv - Kenley Jansen (21): ⅔ IP, 2 hits