PHOENIX -- Paul Goldschmidt has been a thorn in the side of the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout his career, with a .338 batting average in the 71 games he'd played against L.A. through Saturday.
Sunday wasn't his day, however. The Arizona Diamondbacks slugger struck out three times against Dodgers star pitcher Zack Greinke and twisted his right ankle making an awkward catch of a popup in the fifth inning, though he stayed in the game. The Diamondbacks rallied in the bottom of the ninth but lost 4-3 to the Dodgers.
Greinke pitched eight scoreless innings to lower his major league-leading ERA to 1.61. Greinke (17-3) won his fourth straight game and eighth in the past nine starts, striking out eight and walking two. Of his 24 outs recorded, only one was a fly ball.
He struck out Goldschmidt with two out and runners at second and third bases and the Dodgers leading 2-0 in the sixth inning.
"He did a good job, as he usually does. Throws a lot strikes, doesn't make many mistakes so I had a great opportunity there in the fifth or sixth inning and wasn't able to come through," Goldschmidt said. "I would have liked to get on to see what could have happened there. Unfortunately wasn't able to do that."
A.J. Ellis homered and Adrian Gonzalez had three hits to lead the NL West-leading Dodgers' offense. Kenley Jansen got the first two outs in the ninth inning before giving up a three-run home run to Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The reliever struck out Jake Lamb to end the game.
"He's done two different things to me so I really didn't know what to look for," Saltalamacchia said of Jansen, the Dodgers' closer. "I was just trying to get a pitch over the plate that I could get a base hit on, try to keep the line moving.
"You've got guys out there battling to the last out and that's what you want."
The Dodgers scored single runs in the first and third innings. Justin Ruggiano led off the game with a double, took third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Justin Turner's single.
Turner singled and stole second base with one out, took third on another hit and scored on a fielder's choice by Scott Van Slyke to make the score 2-0 in the third inning.
Patrick Corbin (5-4) was charged with both runs and gave up eight hits in six innings, striking out four.
Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said the team is discussing moving pitcher Rubby De La Rosa out of starting against the Dodgers, with De La Rosa lined up to face his nemesis again later this month. De La Rosa has been pounded by the Dodgers' offense in three of four starts, including Saturday night, with three losses this season. "We have to do what's best for him, but also what's best for the team and give us a chance to win the game," Hale said.
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw and his 259 strikeouts and 13-6 record go against the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles on Monday. Kershaw is 8-0 with a 0.93 ERA and three complete games in his last 11 starts.
Diamondbacks: RHP Jeremy Hellickson makes his first start since returning from the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain. He takes on the San Diego Padres. Hellickson is 2-0 with a 0.68 ERA in his last two starts, though he hasn't pitched since last month.
