Greinke outduels Harvey in Dodgers’ 4-3 win over Mets

UP NEXT: Mike Bolsinger (4-2, 2.76 ERA) will face the Mets and Steven Matz (1-0, 2.35) at Dodger Stadium at 1 p.m. TV: SportsNet LA. But now I don’t really pay attention to it.

Asked afterward if he had any extra incentive to be named the NL starter, the usually demure Greinke, already a two-time All-Star and making $25 million this season, predictably muttered: “No”.

“I just had a tough time finding a rhythm”, Harvey said. 267 and just 8 homeruns in 301 games. He went 3 for 3 with four RBIs in his debut, joining Dwight Gooden as the only Mets pitchers to have three hits and four RBIs in one game.

Zach Greinke continued his run of dominance in Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Mets, throwing seven innings of shutout ball while allowing just four hits. He had thrown so well in his bullpen session before the game that pitching coach Dan Warthen told manager Terry Collins it was the best he had warmup he had seen. “I’ve had some good breaks with guys on base this year”. “It’s very uncharacteristic”.

Kershaw sits on one of the best and brightest pedestals in all of baseball, but has struggled extensively in 2015 and in previous playoff starts.

“I feel like we’re in neutral right now”, 2014 Cy Young Award victor Kershaw said about the team’s performance. “It’s all about command, no matter how good your stuff is”. Wilmer Flores had three hits, Kevin Plawecki had two hits, and Curtis Granderson had a hit as the Mets scored three runs on nine hits.

Greinke has not given up a run since Padres outfielder Justin Upton hit a solo home run off him in the eighth inning on June 13.

Yasiel Puig doubled, but he’s 4 for 23 in eight games and hasn’t homered in 20.

In the ninth, the Mets brought the potential winning run to the plate. This play was substantial because it marked the first time in 24 games that the Dodgers had stolen a base.

The Mets had chances to take the lead in the first two innings against Greinke, who entered the game with the best earned run average in the majors.

Jimmy Rollins’ RBI groundout to first base put Los Angeles ahead 1-0 in the second, when Harvey walked two.

In the top of the second, Plawecki doubled into right-center field with one out.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Matt Harvey was bowed by the Los Angeles Dodgers and then bloodied. Two batters later, with Mayberry on third after a wild pitch, Wilmer Flores cashed him in on a single that snuck past the outstretched gloves of Howie Kendrick and Gonzalez into right field. But Kershaw struck out first baseman Lucas Duda to end the inning.The Dodgers responded by taking a 1-0 lead in the second against rookie left-hander Noah Syndergaard.

NOTES: Both teams wore special jerseys and caps to commemorate Independence Day….

The Mets (41-41) lost for the fourth time in their last five games.

At three separate points in Saturday’s game, Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen jogged the short distance from the dugout to the mound to talk to Matt Harvey. “But even going back before the three out of four, he’s been in a bunch of games”, Mattingly said of turning to Jansen when things got close. Dodgers 3B Alberto Callaspo made his 12th start at the position since coming from the Atlanta Braves for 3B Juan Uribe in a six-player trade May 27…. That ended a string of 11 consecutive innings in which Snydergaard did not allow an extra-base hit.