“He’s been unbelievable all year”.
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Turner, who went 2-for-3, smoked a solo shot to center with two outs in the first to give Los Angeles an early lead. It was a typical Zack Greinke outing.
“Like a lot of other stuff with the (playoff) roster, we haven’t gotten there yet”, Mattingly said.
Making his last start before he’s expected to get the ball in Game 3 of the playoff series, Anderson had a two-hit shutout going until running into his first trouble of the day in the eighth inning.
Greinke now has the lowest single-season ERA by a qualifying starter since Greg Maddux’s 1.63 in 1995 for Atlanta. Their alternatives, Howie Kendrick, who was the starting second baseman and if not for his prolonged injury Utley may have not been here. “I’m glad I was able to do my part”.
Tim Hudson left the pitching mound for likely the last time to a roaring ovation and tipped his cap to every section of the stadium as his Giants teammates waited in front of the dugout in a hug line. The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the second before the Dodgers got a run back in the third. He pitched eight innings Saturday, giving up a home run to Austin Hedges.
Peavy, whose prime in behind him, is a gamer who thrives in big games and viewed this one as such, “I love to be in situations like tonight against a team you have to beat”, Peavy said. One, has had more play time this season than Puig. “They got down to business on the field and that was a good feeling for me”. “That’s all I was paying attention to”.
In his last 17 starts, Greinke has recorded a 14-1 mark with a 1.62 ERA (22 ER/122 IP) while going 8-0 in his last eight home starts with a 1.08 ERA (7 ER, 58.1 ERA). “We’re still trying to fight the Mets for home-field advantage”.
“It definitely helps, but I don’t think it is the deciding factor”. I don’t know if it’s the National Football League or NBA where it’s a huge, huge deal.
“Pitching at home, you’re just always a little bit more comfortable”, Greinke said after the game. But I feel good in New York too. Closer Kenley Jensen came on in the ninth and got his 36th save, but not without a few tense moments.
Chase Utley hit a sacrifice fly after Andre Ethier’s leadoff triple in the second, Adrian Gonzalez added an RBI single and Ethier drove in a run on a groundout for the NL West champion Dodgers. It was Turner’s 16th homer this season but his first since August. 25, a span of 28 games, when he homered against the Cincinnati Reds.
Mattingly said Puig has been rehabbing at the team’s training facility at Camelback Ranch in Arizona.
“I didn’t analyze that”, Mattingly said of Puig’s performance.
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That could factor into the decision of who starts the game for the Dodgers. Or imagine having to go up against each of them multiple times in the longer seven-game affairs that make up the League Championship Series and the World Series.
