Greinke shines in Diamondbacks debut

Zack Greinke pitched for the first time as an Arizona Diamondback this Friday, and he did not disappoint, pitching two innings of one-hit baseball against the A’s. He gave up just one hit and struck out two batters. The Diamondbacks dominated their way to a 6-3 victory over Oakland, improving to 2-1 in preseason play.

Second baseman Jean Segura and outfield prospect Gabby Guerrero each hit home runs. Guerrero had four runs batted in on the day, three coming off the blast in the third inning. Segura’s bomb was a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the first.

The D-backs will continue to look to Greinke as the ace of their team as Spring Training continues, and especially once the regular season commences. In a rotation that does not have much depth past Shelby Miller, Greinke’s consistency and longevity will be put to the test.

The right-hander was acquired this offseason after one of the greatest single-season pitching performances in recent history. Finishing the season 19-3 with a 1.66 earned run average and 200 strikeouts, Greinke finished second in voting for the NL Cy Young award, behind the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta. On top of that, he has finished in the top ten of the Cy Young voting in each of the last three years. He was signed to the tune of a six-year, $206.5M contract in December, making him the highest-paid player in baseball.

Greinke was one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason, with offers on the table from the Dodgers, his former team, as well as the San Francisco Giants.