Dodgers 3, Pirates 0
LOS ANGELES -- Zack Greinke shined in his debut as with the Los Angeles Dodgers as he shut down the Pittsburgh Pirates for 6 1/3 innings in a 3-0 win on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Greinke, who signed a six-year, $147-million contract as a free agent during the offseason, allowed two hits and struck out six as the Pirates never gained traction.
Greinke threw 56 of 92 pitches for strikes and dominated unlike the Dodgers' other offseason coup, South Korean pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu. Ryu allowed 10 hits and three runs, one earned, in a 3-0 loss to the visiting San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
Greinke was nearly untouchable, surrendering just a second-inning single to Garrett Jones and a seventh-inning single to Andrew McCutchen before he was relieved by Paco Rodriguez.
Greinke exited to a standing ovation with a 3-0 lead after the Dodgers staked him two crucial runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Matt Kemp broke a 0-for-12 slump to start the season with an RBI double off Pittsburgh starter Jonathan Sanchez that scored Mark Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez followed with another RBI double to score Kemp. Sanchez was immediately pulled for reliever Jeanmar Gomez after allowing three runs and six hits in five innings with four strikeouts.
Until then, Los Angeles had not given Greinke much support aside from an Andre Ethier second inning solo home run.
Rodriguez, Kenley Jansen and Brandon League finished the game for the Dodgers allowing zero hits and League picked up the save after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Greinke was impressive against the top of the Pittsburgh lineup, striking out each of the Pirates first three batters once in the first five innings.
NOTES: Los Angeles won six of seven against Pittsburgh last season. ... The Dodgers' .724 winning percentage against Pittsburgh since 2001 is the best in the National League. ... Former Dodgers catcher Russell Martin made his first appearance at Dodger Stadium since signing with the New York Yankees in 2011 on Friday night. Martin was a two-time All-Star with Los Angeles (2007-08) and won the 2007 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for the Dodgers. ... Greinke sports the third best winning percentage in the Majors since 2011 at .738 entering the game. Greinke has gone 19-2 at home since 2011 and ranks fifth in the Majors in strikeouts since 2008 with 1,007. ... Pittsburgh went just 31-41 on the road last season, with a 0-5 start to the season. ... Pittsburgh starters allowed just four runs in the first three games across 19.1 innings (1.86 ERA). ... Carl Crawford led the league in batting average at .556 entering the game. ... Friday marked the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Brooklyn Dodgers' old ballpark, Ebbett's Field. The Dodgers beat the Yankees 3-2 in an exhibition game on April 5, 1913.
