Zack Greinke Shutout Streak Extended vs. Nationals: Stats, Highlights, Reaction

Mike Trout may have taken Zack Greinke deep in the All-Star Game, but that didn't stop the Los Angeles Dodgers ace from continuing his regular-season warpath Sunday night.

Greinke fanned 11 batters and gave up only three hits over eight scoreless innings, leading the Dodgers to a 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals. He outdueled Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who gave up one run in his six innings of work. The game was billed as a battle between the two best pitchers in the game, and neither disappointed.

"These kinds of guys, a Scherzer and him, they know they can't give up runs," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. "He had to be sharp and he was."

Greinke has now gone 43.2 innings since he last gave up a run. The streak, which got underway June 17, has helped the All-Star righty lower his ERA to an MLB-best 1.30. He's now within striking distance of former Dodger Orel Hershiser, who went a record 59 innings without giving up a run during the 1988 season.

“Giving up only one run is good, but good is not good enough when you’re going up against Greinke and what he’s doing right now,” Scherzer said, per James Wagner of the Washington Post. “He just completely shut us down. He was throwing the ball outstanding, and I wasn’t able to match him.”

ESPN Stats & Info pointed out how much has happened in the sports world since Greinke last gave up a run:

Theoretically, Greinke could break Hershiser's record in his next two starts. He needs 15.1 innings to match Hershiser's streak, meaning he'll probably have to throw a complete game to have a shot. Given the fact that he has not thrown a shutout since the 2013 season and the Dodgers have allowed him to go eight innings twice during this streak, it's likely we're looking at a three-start endeavor.

“Getting close, isn’t he? That’s one of the records that everyone thought wouldn’t be broken. Drysdale had it; when Orel broke that, it was incredible, the way it kept adding up,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who was Hershiser's catcher in 1988, said, per Greg Hadley of the Los Angeles Times. “I’m sure there’s going to be some excitement his next couple starts, for sure.”

Of course, not everyone is impressed with Greinke's streak. Bryce Harper, the NL MVP favorite who went 1-for-3 Sunday, was surprisingly candid about what he felt was an unfair strike zone.

“For me, I don’t think [Greinke] was very tough,” Harper said, per Wagner. “He’s a great pitcher. He does what he does, but when you’re getting six inches off the plate, it’s pretty tough to face him. Of course, he has his change-up and his sinker and he elevates. He’s a good pitcher. He’s doing what he’s doing to help that team over there, but I don’t want to give him too much credit because I’ve got to face him again.”

Greinke's next scheduled start is Friday against the Mets. He'll then have a home start against the Oakland A's next Wednesday. New York is sitting 29th in runs scored, while Oakland is fifth. Assuming he keeps his recent performance level, he has a good chance of getting to 50-plus innings by the time the A's visit Los Angeles.

Maybe by then Harper will be a little more impressed.  

 

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