Major League Baseball

Greinke, Dodgers beat Rockies 6-3

Published Apr. 19, 2015 12:13 a.m. ET

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LOS ANGELES (AP) Zack Greinke has earned Don Mattingly's confidence during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers. So when he got a visit from his manager in the seventh inning after throwing 91 pitches, the right-hander convinced him to let him stay in the game.

After striking out Nick Hundley, Greinke gave up a two-run homer to DJ LeMahieu and was done for the night. But the bullpen held Colorado in check the rest of the way for a 6-3 victory, helping Greinke to his fourth straight win against the Rockies.

''I think that may be his first home run on a fastball against a right-handed pitcher in his career,'' Greinke said. ''He's hit some of them on off-speed pitches, so I was just trying to throw a fastball away and he hit it pretty well. I wasn't really thinking home run at the time I threw it, but I had a decent lead and I just wanted to make him put the ball in play.''

LeMahieu's first homer of the season came on Greinke's 103rd and final pitch. It also was his first in 53 career at-bats at Dodger Stadium.

''I knew I was probably his last batter, so I didn't want him leaving on a good note,'' said LeMahieu, who is batting .463 through his first 11 games. ''I'm just seeing the ball well. I had a good first series and I've just tried to carry it on.''

Adrian Gonzalez drove in three runs for Los Angeles, which finished with nine hits.

Greinke (2-0) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings while improving to 20-1 with a 1.95 ERA in 30 starts against NL West teams since signing with the Dodgers in December 2012.

''That's probably the toughest lineup in the National League. Maybe our lineup is up with theirs, but they're pretty good,'' Greinke said. ''I mean, Corey Dickerson is about as good as anyone in baseball who is batting sixth, and LeMahieu is batting close to .500 right now - and he's their eighth hitter. That's pretty tough.''

Gonzalez, who led the majors last season with 116 RBIs, has 14 in his first 11 games and is batting .523 (23 for 44).

''That's pretty amazing,'' Greinke said. ''He went through a little slump last year, and that's the first time I think I've seen him go through one since I've been here. But right now, he's as hot as it gets.''

Joel Peralta pitched a hitless ninth for his third save in three chances.

Jordan Lyles (1-1) gave up four runs, five hits and five walks in six innings, dropping to 0-3 with a 6.84 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers.

''It's the walks, and a lot of them scored,'' Lyles said. ''If they're going to score, make them earn it. After I walked them, they earned it by getting them in. I've got to do a better job of attacking them early.''

Lyles walked three of his first four batters in the fifth, including Yasiel Puig, who stared down the right-hander after a belt-high wild pitch that just missed hitting the slugger. Puig sat out the previous three games because of tightness in his left hamstring.

Troy Tulowitzki's run-scoring single put Colorado ahead in the first, but Yasmani Grandal's RBI single tied the score in the second.

After the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the third, Gonzalez hit what appeared to be a double-play grounder to Tulowitzki at shortstop. But LeMahieu's relay throw in the dirt couldn't be handled by first baseman Justin Morneau, and Greinke scored the go-ahead run.

''We turn that double play 99 out of a 100 times,'' LeMahieu said. ''We've got to play good clean baseball to win on the road. It would have helped a lot if we could have gotten out of that inning.''

WILD MAN

Greinke, who threw a career-high 12 wild pitches last season, made two in a row in the third inning.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: LF Carl Crawford did not play because of a stomach ailment and was replaced by Andre Ethier, who started the previous three games in RF while Puig was sidelined. Ethier had not started in four consecutive games since June 28-July 2 last year. ... Closer Kenley Jansen threw off a mound for the first time since left foot surgery in February. His bullpen session lasted 15 pitches.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Eddie Butler will make his sixth career start and third against the Dodgers, the team he made his big league debut against last June 6 at Coors Field. Last Monday, he pitched 5 1-3 scoreless innings despite giving up six walks.

Dodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy surrendered four home runs while striking out 10 and walking none in a seven-inning no-decision last Monday against Seattle at Dodger Stadium. The 10-year veteran, who played high school ball in Colorado Springs, is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies.