Zack Greinke’s scoreless innings streak at 43 2/3 after win over Nationals

Reporting from WASHINGTON —  A.J. Ellis was flustered.

Making a sudden sixth-inning entrance Sunday as an injury replacement for starting catcher Yasmani Grandal, Ellis didn’t know what was working for pitcher Zack Greinke and what wasn’t.

Greinke calmed his fears.

“All my stuff’s pretty nasty right now,” Ellis said he was told by Greinke.

Recalling the scene after the Dodgers’ 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals, Ellis laughed. Dominating the Nationals over the first eight innings, Greinke extended his scoreless streak to 43 2/3 innings.

“He wasn’t exaggerating,” Ellis said.

Greinke’s scoreless streak is the fourth-longest in the majors in the post-1960 expansion era.

“I’m just not making a bunch of mistakes,” Greinke said.

Orel Hershiser’s record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings was established in 1988 while with the Dodgers. The previous record holder, Don Drysdale, had a 58 2/3-inning streak in 1968 with the Dodgers. In that same season, Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t give up a run for 47 consecutive innings.

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw had a 41-inning scoreless streak last season.

The starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star game, Greinke hasn’t given up a run in his last six starts. Only two other pitchers have done that since 1920, Hershiser in 1988 and Drysdale in 1968.

“I don’t think about it at all,” said Greinke, who lowered his earned-run average to 1.30.

Greinke said he wasn’t concerned that pitching opposite him was Max Scherzer, who is probably his primary competition for the NL Cy Young Award.

“I start thinking about that, I try to do more,” Greinke said. “The results will be worse.”

Greinke began the game with a 1.39 ERA and Scherzer with a 2.11 ERA, making this the first major league game in 26 years featuring two pitchers with more than 100 innings and ERAs of 2.11 of less.

The last matchup like that was between John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves and Bryn Smith of the Montreal Expos on July 19, 1989.

“These kinds of guys, a Scherzer and him, they know they can’t give up runs,” Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said. “He had to be sharp and he was.”

Even with Scherzer lasting only six innings, the game was significantly closer than the score indicated. Greinke departed with only a 1-0 lead.

“He pitches to the scoreboard as well as anyone I’ve ever caught,” Ellis said.

The Dodgers blew open the game with a four-run ninth inning.

Greinke limited the Nationals to three hits and struck out a season-high 11 batters. He struck out All-Star right fielder Bryce Harper twice.

Ellis said Greinke’s performance was comparable to Kershaw’s on Saturday. With Ellis behind the plate, Kershaw pitched eight scoreless innings and had 14 strikeouts.

Greinke walked only one batter, Harper, and has walked three batters over his last six starts.

“In today’s game, these guys know if you walk people, your pitch counts run up,” Mattingly said. “Now, with the investments you have in these guys, you’re just not going to leave them out there. These guys know that to stay in the game, they have to throw strikes.”

No Nationals player reached scoring position against Greinke.

Mattingly called Greinke “an artist.”

“Zack gets the ball to both sides of the plate,” Mattingly said. “He’s got the power change, he’s got a good slider. He’s got a lot to cover as a hitter. It’s hard to cover all that.”