Arizona Diamondbacks Game Preview, #66: Narratives ahoy!

Michael Bolsinger RHP, 1-3, 5.75

Zack Greinke RHP, 8-3, 3.84

Chase Utley - 2B	Jean Segura - 2B
Corey Seager - SS	Jake Lamb - 3B
Justin Turner - 3B	Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
Adrian Gonzalez - 1B	David Peralta - CF
Trayce Thompson - RF	Welington Castillo - C
Joc Pederson - CF	Peter O'Brien - LF
Yasmani Grandal - C	Yasmany Tomas - RF
Scott Van Slyke - LF	Zack Greinke - RHP
Michael Bolsinger - RHP	Nick Ahmed - SS

It's going to be the first time Greinke has pitched against the Dodgers since leaving them on the free-agent market this winter. He didn't see them during the previous set against them in Los Angeles, the third series of the year - which was also the Dodgers' home opener. Interesting though it might have been for him to appear there, it's probably for the best that he didn't, and the Greinke we've seen of late seems a much better pitcher than the tentative one who would have appeared in Los Angeles. He hasn't allowed a run this month, tossing 16 shutout innings with a K:BB of 13:2, including a complete-game shutout of the Rays last week.

Bolsinger, meanwhile, went the other direction, being more or less given away to the Dodgers by Arizona in November 2014. He was actually very respectable for them in 2014, making 21 starts with an ERA+ of 102, but has largely turned back into the expected pumpkin this season, and has been prone to the long-ball, allowing five home-runs in 20.1 innings of work. Something in a corner locker marked "O'Brien" appears to be drooling... It's probably the only game this series where there's a clear advantage in starting pitching for the Diamondbacks - tomorrow looks like a push, and then there's Kershaw on Wednesday - so be nice to take advantage thereof.

Going to be another interesting night in the outfield, with Tomas, O'Brien and Peralta the three men out there. The Freight Train gets the start in center-field, so we'll see how that all works out. To be safe, let's hope that Greinke has his good ground-ball game going this evening. If we beat LA, and the Giants win, that will put the Dodgers a season-high six games back. I don't particularly want San Francisco to win the division title (something something even-year something), but it'd be preferable to another Los Angeles championship. There's always something pleasing about beating the Dodgers - even without Yasiel Puig.