LOS ANGELES – The Phillies fell to a season-worst 30 games under .500 and were shut out for the second game in a row -- on two hits -- in a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.
Zack Greinke pitched eight scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He lowered his majors-best ERA to 1.39. He has pitched 35 2/3 scoreless innings over his last five starts.
The Phillies were shut out by Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday night. It gets no easier in San Francisco on Friday night as the Phils face Giants ace Madison Bumgarner.
The Phils (29-59) have been shut out 10 times this season.
Starting pitching report
Rookie right-hander Severino Gonzalez gave up a pair of big hits that resulted in four runs in his 5 2/3 innings.
Gonzalez did not allow a run for the first three innings and got the first two outs in the fourth. He then hurt himself with a four-pitch walk to Yasmani Grandal and a hit batsman on an 0-2 pitch. That set up Yasiel Puig for a two-run double.
Gonzalez allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth and a two-run homer to Adrian Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is now 3-3 with a 7.92 ERA.
Greinke (8-2) threw just 94 pitches, but did not finish the game. He did not walk a batter and struck out eight.
Kershaw walked none and struck out 13 on Wednesday night.
Bullpen report
Hector Neris allowed a two-run homer to Puig in the eighth.
Joel Peralta pitched the ninth for the Dodgers, finishing off the shutout. He allowed a single.
At the plate
Ryan Howard had the Phillies’ first hit, a single to left in the second inning. Ben Revere had the second hit with two outs in the ninth.
Puig took extra batting practice with Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire long before the game and it paid off with a two-run double in the fourth and a two-run homer in the eighth.
Adrian Gonzalez has 17 home runs and 53 RBIs.
Up next
The Phillies open a three-game series in San Francisco against the Giants on Friday night. Here are the pitching matchups:
Friday night – LHP Cole Hamels (5-6, 3.02) vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner (8-5, 3.34)
Saturday night – RHP David Buchanan (0-5, 8.76) vs. RHP Ryan Vogelsong (6-6, 4.10)
Sunday afternoon – RHP Chad Billingsley (1-2, 6.67) vs. RHP Chris Heston (8-5, 3.51).