The Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers meet on Monday for the fourth time this season, but first at Chase Field. Los Angeles dropped a three-game opener in mid-April before taking the next two from Arizona.
On top of visiting Chase Field for the first time in 2016, the Dodgers are getting their first look at Zack Greinke. The right-hander was the subject of a bidding war between the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants during the offseason when the Diamondbacks made a late entry with a stunning offer.
Greinke signed a six-year, $206.5 million contract that included over $60 million in deferred salaries. The deal nonetheless guaranteed the 32 year old the largest average annual value in Major League Baseball history.
Greinke’s $34.42 million average shattered the previous high — $31 million — shared by Miguel Cabrera and David Price. Price reached the average this past offseason by signing a seven-year, $217 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
Ahead of facing his former teammate, Scott Van Slyke shared his thoughts on the matchup with Alanna Rizzo of Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA:
“I think it will be a good challenge. We all know how good of a pitcher Zack can be when he’s on. I think it will be exciting and good competition for us. I know a lot of us want to show him we can hit, because when he was here he would always critique our swings.”
Justin Turner echoed a similar sentiment:
“I think maybe fun and exciting, I think we all look forward to it. Obviously, some of the guys here have played behind him for three or four years. I got a couple of years playing behind him, and I think we all look forward to the opportunity to actually get to face him.”
Greinke enters the start with a scoreless streak of 16 innings. He’s rebounded a rough start to his first season with Arizona. Overall this year, Greinke is 8-3 with a 3.84 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.17 WHIP and is averaging 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
He’s been particularly effective in his last five starts, going 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA, four walks and 29 strikeouts over 37 innings pitched.
Greinke is coming off a complete-game shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays, and has gone at least six innings in each of his starts after only throwing four frames in his Diamondbacks debut.
