Greinke wins 16th as D’backs sweep Dodgers

NATIONAL LEAGUE

DIAMONDBACKS 8, DODGERS 1

PHOENIX — Zack Greinke earned his major league-best 16th victory with six strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Los Angeles 8-1 on Thursday to complete the first series sweep of the Dodgers this season.

Chris Iannetta and A.J. Pollock homered for the Diamondbacks, who matched their season-best seventh consecutive victory and pulled 31/2 games ahead of idle Colorado for the National League’s top wild card spot.

The Dodgers, still with by far the best record in the majors (91-40), have lost a season-worst five in a row.

Greinke (16-6) allowed 1 run and 4 hits, striking out 6 and walking 2, to improve to 13-1 in 16 home starts this season.

The Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda (126) had arguably his worst outing of the year. The right-hander went just 3 innings and gave up 7 runs and 8 hits. It was his shortest start and the most runs he’s allowed this season.

Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks. Gregor Blanco had three hits, two of them doubles, drove in a run and scored twice.

As has happened throughout the series, the Diamondbacks struck early.

Blanco, leading off, took advantage of a lackadaisical play by right fielder Yasiel Puig to stretch a single into a double. Iannetta followed with a walk and Goldschmidt doubled down the left field line to bring both of them home. That made it 10 first-inning runs for Arizona in

the series.

Los Angeles cut it to 2-1 in the second when Yasmani Grandal singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Adrian Gonzalez’s double.

But the Diamondbacks added three in their half of the inning. With two outs, Blanco brought in a run with his second double and Iannetta followed with a soaring, two-run shot into the left field seats and the Diamondbacks were up 5-1.