DENVER — Zack Greinke Jay Bruce Jersey ,, will start Tuesday for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Colorado Rockies.The Diamondbacks could use a strong start from Greinke (13-9, 3.08) after getting pounded 13-2 by the Rockies on Monday in the opener of a key four-game series. The Rockies (79-64) lead the National League West by 1 1/2 games with the Diamondbacks (76-68), losers of eight of their past 10 games, in third place, 3 1/2 games behind and four games back for the second NL wild-card spot.In his last outing Thursday, a no-decision against Atlanta, Greinke gave up a season-high tying five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings. It was just the second time in 15 starts that Greinke allowed four earned runs, a stretch in which he’s 8-4, 2.40 with 20 walks and 90 strikeouts in 97 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .211 batting average.Article continues below ...Overall, Greinke has 180 strikeouts, which ranks sixth in the NL, and just 37 walks in 181 1/3 innings, the fourth most in the league.“He’s smart, he knows hitters very well,” said Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-fernando-rodney-jersey , who has hit five home runs against Greinke, tied with teammate Trevor Story and Jason Giambi for the most Greinke has allowed to any hitter. “He knows how to keep you off his pitches. He nibbles a lot, and he gets calls because normally they’re really close. He’s going to try to be super fine or super far away from you. With a guy like him, we just got to be patient and at the same time, don’t miss that pitch (to hit) because that one pitch is all he’s going to give you (that at-bat).”Greinke is 2-0, 2.33 in three starts against the Rockies this year and 11-5, 3.75 in 28 games (27 starts) against them. He’s 4-1, 4.20 in 11 games (10 starts) at Coors Field.Antonio Senzatela (4-5, 4.92) will start for the Rockies. He’s 2-4, 4.47 in nine starts since returning to the rotation July 3. Senzatela is 0-2, 6.75 in two games (one start) against the Diamondbacks this season and 0-3, 8.27 against them in six games (two starts). In his last start Wednesday against San Francisco, Senzatela allowed a career-high tying nine hits and three runs in five innings and ended up with a no-decision in Colorado’s 5-3 win.If the Diamondbacks have a save situation in the ninth, they won’t be turning to Brad Boxberger to get the final three outs. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo announced before Monday’s game that he has pulled Boxberger from the closer’s role. He has 32 saves in 39 chances, but in four games this month, Boxberger is 0-3 http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-todd-frazier-jersey , one-for-two in save situations and has allowed five hits, three walks and six runs in two innings.Lovullo said he told Boxberger after Sunday’s game the Diamondbacks would rely on matchups in the ninth inning. On Sunday, Boxberger came on with the Diamondbacks leading Atlanta 5-4 and gave up two singles to start the inning and Ender Inciarte’s three-run homer.Lovullo said Boxberger was “on board” with the decision but obviously disappointed.“But at this point in time,” Lovullo said, “we just feel like we got to maximize every situation and every opportunity to get 27 outs. He’s still in that equation. It just might be done a little bit different.“It’s going to be done by matching up, trying to get through the situation the best that we can based on the hitters that are coming up and who’s available in the bullpen. With nine outs remaining, I typically was counting how to get through six outs. The only thing that will change is (I’ll) probably manage how to get nine outs because I was handing off that ninth inning to ‘Box.’ “ OAKLAND, Calif. — Veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson hopes to stall his career-long struggles against the Texas Rangers when he attempts to deliver the Oakland Athletics a second consecutive win in the three-game series Saturday afternoon.The A’s (85-57) will take the field 3 1/2 games behind first-place Houston (88-53) in the race for the American League West crown, and 3 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees (88-53) in the duel for the first wild-card spot in the AL.The Astros will be at Boston with the same starting time as the A’s, while the Yankees aren’t scheduled to start until several hours later in a night game at Seattle.Article continues below ...Jackson (5-3, 2.91 ERA) will be facing the Rangers for the third time this season while still looking for his first effective outing against them.He gave up a three-run home run to Robinson Chirinos in a 6-5 win over the Rangers in Texas in July. Jackson did not get the win, having been pulled after allowing five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.Jackson’s stats were nearly identical (4 1/3 innings, four runs, seven hits) in a 4-2 home loss to the Rangers last month in which he was bombed for homers by Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Gallo. He took the loss in that outing.The 34-year-old has logged a 0-1 record and 9.35 ERA in his two starts against the Rangers this season, as opposed to 5-2 with a 2.06 against all other teams in 11 starts.Jackson is just 2-4 with a 4.85 ERA in nine starts against the Rangers in his career.Gallo has faced Jackson just four times and gotten on base all four via two walks, a single and a home run.The slugger ended a nine-game homerless drought with his 35th of the season in Friday’s 8-4 loss to the A’s in the series opener. He now stands five behind Oakland’s Khris Davis David Wright Jersey , the AL leader with 40.Adrian Beltre (.409), Choo (.364) and Elvis Andrus (.353) also have padded their batting averages at Jackson’s expense.Davis, meanwhile, has a walk, a single and a home run to show for three career plate appearances against left-hander Yohander Mendez (1-1, 5.59), the Rangers’ scheduled starter Saturday.Mendez faced the A’s three times in relief the past two seasons, going 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA. He has not faced the A’s this season and has transitioned into a starter of late. Mendez is coming off the best outing of his career last Sunday, when he shut out the Minnesota Twins on three hits over six innings for his first major-league win.The A’s did a majority of the power hitting in Friday’s win, with Ramon Laureano belting a pair of homers, including one on Yovani Gallardo’s fourth pitch of the game.Oakland’s new leadoff man, who was an August call-up from the minors, has made the most of a recent promotion to the top of the order, going 4-for-10 in three games with two doubles and two home runs.
