Zack Greinke Ready to Clip Some Red Feathers

The Dodgers lost on Friday night to the Red Birds after they made some mistakes both on the base path and in the outfield. Scott Van Slyke failed to get to the Jhonny Peralta double which in the end was the winning hit after both teams’ offense was quiet after the fifth inning. Van Slyke hesitated when he saw Yasiel Puig running toward the ball, and the hesitation cost the Dodgers the game. Van Slyke should not be starting in center field. I have advocated for the Dodgers to play Puig in center many times, and this play really highlights the need for the Dodgers to have a capable center fielder out there.

A.J. tried to leg out a double which he has no business doing. Adrian Gonzalez and A.J. Ellis are incredibly slow, and they should not be the ones trying to stretch out a double. There was also Matt Kemp‘s caught stealing which also added to the missed opportunity list. The Cardinals have their own issues and weaknesses, but game 2 really showcased the Dodgers inadequacies.

Zack Greinke (9-4, 2.89) vs. Lance Lynn (8-5, 2.90)

Lineup: 

Gordon 2B

Puig RF

Ramirez SS

Gonzalez 1B

Kemp LF

Ethier CF

Turner 3B

Ellis C

Greinke P

Zack Greinke will try to start a new winning streak for the Dodgers who cannot seem to string together more than three wins in a row. Last time out in Kansas City, Greinke had what was probably his worst start of the season. He allowed 5 runs on 11 hits to the Royals over 5 2/3 innings. Perhaps a home start will get Zack on attack. The quirky right-hander has only lost one game at home this year. Greinke is 8-3 with a 3.10 ERA against the

Jun 27, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Mark Ellis (3) walks off the field after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals in 12 career games (10 starts).

Lance Lynn’s ERA is just .01 better than Greinke’s. Lynn allowed just 3 hits over 8 shutout innings in his last start against the Rockies at Coors Field. He’s pitched well against the Dodgers in the past and sports a 2-0 career record against Los Angeles with a 2.50 ERA in 3 starts. Adrian Gonzalez has hit 2 doubles off Lynn in the past.

Prediction: Yasiel Puig has a multi-hit game.

The Dodgers are well on their second leg of the season. We’re more than half-way through the season with the All-Star Break approaching. The Dodgers are on a cusp right now, and they need to go into the break bats a blazin’ in order to show the Giants and the rest of baseball that they are contenders this season. The Dodgers have played much better recently, but they will need to be more consistent at the plate and in the field.

Go Blue!