Price: 'When you're not winning, you have to find victories in other ways'
The Los Angeles Dodgers struggled to provide much of any offensive support for Zack Greinke in his last outing. Considering how well they've hit the ball in Cincinnati the past two games, that might not be a problem this time.
Greinke and the Dodgers will try to complete a three-game sweep of the lowly Reds on Thursday.
Los Angeles (69-56) totaled nine runs and two homers while dropping the first five of an eight-game trip before scoring 12 times in the last two at Cincinnati. Three of the Dodgers' five home runs in the series came during Wednesday's 7-4 victory.
Cincinnati (52-73) has lost 11 of 12 while its starting pitchers have posted a 7.13 ERA and given up 18 home runs during that stretch.
"When you're not winning, you have to find victories in other ways," said Reds manager Bryan Price, whose club has been outscored 27-12 during a five-game losing streak to Los Angeles.
The NL West leading-Dodgers last swept a road set at Cincinnati in June 2008, and should have a good chance to do it again with Greinke (13-3, 1.67 ERA) on the hill. The right-hander went 8-0 with a 1.16 ERA in 11 starts prior to Saturday when he allowed three runs, a season-high two homers and one other hit in seven innings of a 3-1 loss at Houston.
"A lot of good pitches but not good enough," said Greinke, who still has the lowest ERA, WHIP (0.85) and opponent batting average (.191) in the majors.
He also won't place blame on his teammates for their lack of run support.
"Every game, you're not going to get five runs (on offense)," he told MLB's official website.
The Dodgers didn't need to give Greinke much offensive help in a 2-1 victory over Cincinnati on Aug. 16 when he yielded a run and struck out eight in seven innings.
Greinke also homered off Anthony DeSclafani (7-9, 3.97) in that contest, one batter after Joc Pederson went deep. DeSclafani gave up four other hits over six innings for the game. The rookie right-hander wasn't nearly as effective Saturday, allowing six runs and two more homers over five innings in an 11-7 defeat to Arizona.
"Plain and simple, I wasn't good," he said.
Jimmy Rollins and Yasiel Puig, a combined 5 for 11 against DeSclafani, have each homered in this series. Puig is batting .324 with two home runs in his last nine games.
Teammate Kike Hernandez is batting .480 with four RBIs in six games against the Reds this season.
The Dodgers expect to have All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal in the lineup after he missed the last three games with a bruised shoulder.
"We're trying to be careful with him," manager Don Mattingly said of Grandal, who is 3 for 30 with 10 strikeouts in his last 10 games. "This time of year, especially with catchers, they're banged up. I'm not saying (the injury) won't stick around, but this gives him the best chance of being as healthy as he can be this time of year."
Todd Frazier is batting .211 in 19 at-bats against Greinke, but .387 in the last eight games.
Joey Votto has hit .444 with three home runs and four doubles when facing Greinke.
