D-backs ace Zack Greinke quietly a force at the plate

Who ever said pitchers can’t hit?

While there’s no question as to what Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke can do on the mound, the ace leads the D-backs pitching staff with a 6-2 record, his play from the plate has helped add to the team’s win total this season.

Entering play Friday, Greinke’s averaging .320 from the plate, with eight hits, four RBI and six runs scored. He’s also been walked twice and only struck out six times, while he’s laid down three sacrifice bunts in 30 plate appearances.

And he isn’t just putting balls in play either.

Of his eight hits this season, Greinke’s recorded two doubles, a triple and two home runs. He also has a stolen base, something not typically seen from a pitcher.

The @DBacks’ Zack Greinke is the first pitcher since Kevin Foster in 1995 to have a double, triple, home run and stolen base in one season, confirmed by @EliasSports #quirkjians

— Tim Kurkjian (@Kurkjian_ESPN) May 22, 2019

The pitcher’s tied for first in hits, doubles, and home runs, while Greinke leads all pitchers in runs scored and is second in RBI.

It comes as no surprise to his teammates, however.

“If you want to have a good conversation with Zack Greinke, ask about hitting,” David Peralta said when asked about Greinke’s offense following a two-hit outing back in April. “He loves to talk about hitting, he knows what he’s doing and he’s got a pretty good swing, you can see it, he can hit the ball.”

With Greinke’s eight hits leading the way, the D-backs have a total of 13 knocks this season from their pitching staff. Good enough for No. 3 in the Majors.

Compared to San Francisco Giants pitcher and known-hitter Madison Bumgarner, Greinke has the upper hand this season.

Not only does the D-back lead in the home-run category, Bumgarner trails Greinke in hits (four), runs scored (one), RBI (two), batting average (.167) and strikeouts (14).

So while it’s not necessarily the name you’d expect to hear, when talking about pitchers who rake, don’t forget to throw Greinke’s name in the mix.

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