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Zack Greinke pitches, Dodgers power way past Brewers, 8-2

Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke throws during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
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That’s what you call a nice combo. Zack Greinke looking every bit like an ace and the Dodgers continuing their power display.

They came together Tuesday at Miller Park for an 8-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, Greinke pitching brilliantly and supported by three home runs by a Dodgers team that unexpectedly leads the majors in homers.

Greinke went 7 2/3 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out seven in pushing his record to 5-0. The only run the Brewers scored against him was unearned.

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Greinke lowered his earned-run average to 1.56 in his six starts. He started the night having held opponents to a .193 batting average and then allowed Milwaukee two singles. This is called a very strong outing.

Yet he still found himself trailing 1-0 after five innings, the Brewers scoring in the second inning when Aramis Ramirez singled and center fielder Joc Pederson dropped Jean Segura’s fly for an error.

But the Dodgers, who lead the majors with 42 home runs, took the lead for good in the sixth. Following a base hit from Howie Kendrick and a walk to Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Turner -- starting at third again for Juan Uribe -- unloaded a three-run homer off Milwaukee’s Matt Garza (2-4).

The Dodgers returned to the long-ball routine in the seventh. Greinke actually started the rally with a double off reliever Rob Wooten. Then with two outs, struggling Jimmy Rollins (.168) took right-hander Neal Cotts deep for his third home run of the season.

Not that the Dodgers were done. After a walk to Kendrick, Gonzalez powered his ninth home run to add two more. Gonzalez is tied with Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier for the National League lead in homers. Just might be part of the reason the Brewers have walked him five times in two games. That and the fact he has the all-time highest batting average (.408) in the history of Miller Park.

Turner completed a four-RBI night with a run-scoring single in the ninth.

After Pedro Baez struck out his only batter in the eighth, the Brewers scored a final ninth-inning run against left-hander Daniel Coulombe, making his first appearance of the season.

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Follow Steve Dilbeck on Twitter @stevedilbeck

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