There were some fireworks the last time Zack Greinke faced the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This time around, though, the Los Angeles Dodgers are more concerned with moving up the standings in the National League West, as the division foes begin a three-game set at Chase Field.
Five players were hit by pitches, six were ejected and five were suspended following a wild game between these two in Los Angeles on June 11. Greinke was a key figure in the events of that night, as he hit Arizona catcher Miguel Montero as payback for the Diamondbacks hitting outfielder Yasiel Puig. Arizona starter Ian Kennedy then plunked Greinke up near the shoulder to set off a wild fracas.
"We're not going to start anything up," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "This is the same thing as San Diego. We can't afford to be losing players, they can't afford to be losing players. I really don't expect anything. I expect baseball. They'll protect their guys, we'll protect our guys. But I don't think either team will start anything. There won't be a carryover for us to feel we have to do something."
Los Angeles enters this series 4 1/2 games back of the division-leading Diamondbacks after taking two of three this past weekend from the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers have now won six of their last eight overall.
Greinke takes the hill on Monday trying for a fourth straight win. The right- hander beat the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, despite giving up five runs and six hits with seven walks in five innings. Still, he improved to 6-2 on the year to go along with a 4.30 ERA.
Greinke is 0-3 lifetime versus the D'backs with a 6.82 ERA in six starts.
Arizona, meanwhile, will counter with righty Randall Delgado, who is 1-2 with a 3.67 ERA. Delgado picked up his first win of the season on Wednesday in New York, as he held the Mets to a pair of runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Delgado did not get a decision in his only other start versus the Dodgers.
Arizona swept a three-game set from the Rockies over the weekend and has won five in a row.
The Diamondbacks have won seven of nine from the Dodgers this season.
"They're a different team than we played the last time," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "They're getting more of their guys healthy and they're very formidable. They continue to acquire guys to make themselves better. We just have to play good baseball and try and execute to beat them. If you get distracted by the sideshow, I think you inhibit your chances to do that."
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