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Greinke eyes 6-0 start in D.C.

May 5, 2014 - 2:27 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - This just in. Zack Greinke is pretty good.

The Washington Nationals will become the latest team with a chance to slow down the streaking right-hander on Monday when Greinke's team -- the Los Angeles Dodgers -- begins a three-game series at Nationals Park.

Greinke is aiming to reach 6-0 for the second time in his big-league career and first since 2009, when he was with the Kansas City Royals. He's also made 18 consecutive regular-season starts in which he's allowed two runs or less in at least five innings of work -- a first in the big leagues in 90 years.

He defeated Minnesota, 6-4, on Wednesday after allowing a single unearned run in six innings.

"My stuff was a lot better (in 2009)," Greinke said. "I'm locating better, being smarter. I've gotten a lot of help here, nice defensive plays."

In three career starts against the Nationals franchise, he is 2-0 with a 2.45 earned run average. His initial win in the majors came 10 years ago -- on June 8, 2004 -- against the precursor to the Nationals, the Montreal Expos.

The Dodgers may be without right fielder Yasiel Puig, who ran into the outfield wall in the ninth inning of a Sunday game at Miami, but passed a subsequent concussion test.

"He hit the wall good," manager Don Mattingly said. "He seemed to be OK when he was walking in, but I'm sure they are going to keep looking at him. He almost made an unbelievable play."

Washington replies on the mound with righty Jordan Zimmermann, who has yet to win in four home starts this season after winning 12 games at Nationals Park in 2013.

He picked up his second road victory of 2014 on Wednesday, when he tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out seven in a 7-0 defeat of Houston.

Zimmermann is 2-1 in four starts against the Dodgers with a 6.65 ERA.

On Sunday in Miami, Jeff Baker smacked an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning to drive the Marlins to a 5-4 win over the Dodgers in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Baker's hit was the play on which Puig was shaken up.

He leaped into the wall and barely missed the catch as Adeiny Hechavarria scored for the win.

Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier drove in a run apiece for Los Angeles, which saw starter Stephen Fife allow four runs on seven hits while striking out five over six-plus innings. Jamey Wright (2-2) allowed one run on two hits through 1 2/3 innings to suffer the loss.

In Philadelphia, Roberto Hernandez came through with an outstanding fill-in start to lead the Phillies to a 1-0 win over the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.

Jimmy Rollins tripled and scored the game's lone run in the first inning, sending Gio Gonzalez (3-2) to a hard-luck loss despite the Nationals' lefty permitting just four hits and fanning seven over 7 1/3 frames.

Denard Span had two of the five hits for Washington, which went 0-for-7 with men in scoring position.

Los Angeles was 5-1 against the Nats last season.