Greinke homers to back solid outing

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly needs a really good reason to visit Zack Greinke when he’s on the mound. He just wasn’t able to get comfortable within his delivery and make the types of pitches that we’ve seen from him during his time in the big leagues. The same could not be said for J.P. Howell who gave up the fourth home run of the year to Hamilton. “Turn the page. It’s done and over with”. “He likes to get on me on days where he outhits me, and I’ll definitely hear about this until his next start”. Oddities still do exist, however, as two of his three no-decisions during that stretch have been outings in which he allowed zero runs, and he allowed six runs in one of those wins.

“I was taking it all in and trying to embrace it”, said Lamb, who lost 5-3. After another dominant performance (6.0 IP & 1 ER) five days later, the Columbus Clippers finally figured out the 23-year old with five earned runs in six innings.

“I gave it everything I had”.

My takeaway on this road trip so far and only good note is that Stephen Strasburg is back and pitching great in his last two starts for the Nationals. He was playing catch at 75 feet as spring training opened and threw a bullpen session June 2. It was Gonzalez’s club-leading 23rd home run of the season.

Hamilton went 4 for 4 with four runs scored and two RBIs for the Reds, who piled up 15 hits while never trailing against a team coming off consecutive shutout victories. L.A. maintained a 2 1/2-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

Giovanny Urshela had two hits, including a two-run homer for Cleveland. The offense managed three hits and walked four times with Mark Canha and Danny Valencia smack solo homers.

He felt like he had one in the seventh inning Sunday against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, and the brief exchange might have been the most important one in the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory. He doubled to deep right field and second baseman Rendon’s throwing error allowed Ethier and Joc Pedersen, who was hit by a pitch, to score. That opened the flood gates against Latos as Phillips and Suarez smacked back-to-back doubles and the Reds were up four. In 202 plate appearances as a Dodger, Greinke has hit.

The Dodgers are 16-7 (.696) in Greinke’s starts this year and 51-44 (.536) in all other games.

Dodgers: INF Justin Turner will be activated in the next couple days off the 15-day DL, where he landed with a right thigh skin infection that he said was MRSA, a contagious and antibiotic-resistant staph bacteria. He came off the bench in the fifth inning Thursday and will start Friday.

Reds: LH John Lamb makes his major league debut.

Lorenzen, struggling in the majors, was replaced in the big-league rotation by John Lamb, a left acquired last month in the Johnny Cueto trade with the Kansas City Royals. Since joining the Dodgers Latos has pitched 14.2 innings, striking out 8, and giving up 12 runs, for a WHIP of 1.43 and an ERA of 6.75.