Dodgers' Zack Greinke 'locked in' for Game 5 win

LOS ANGELES – Zack Greinke admitted he was a little nervous after he loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series Wednesday.

But his catcher, A.J. Ellis, wasn't.

"There was no concern on my part," Ellis said. "Zack's mentally locked in. He always has a plan on how he wants to go about it."

Greinke got out of the jam by striking out St. Louis Cardinals cleanup hitter Matt Adams on a wicked curveball and getting Yadier Molina to bounce into a double play.

Greinke wobbled again in the third, giving up two runs on a booming RBI triple to center by Carlos Beltran followed by a laser RBI double to left by Matt Holliday.

Then he retired the next 13 batters, throwing seven innings and getting the victory in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-4 win that forces a Game 6 Friday in St. Louis.

"He's a bulldog when he takes the mound," teammate Carl Crawford said. "That's the type of guy you want to play behind."

Said Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez: "He's one of the smartest pitchers I've been with."

Greinke, who hit .328 in 72 regular-season at-bats, also got an RBI single in the game.

Asked if he has a friendly competition with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, the probable Cy Young winner who will start Game 6, Greinke smiled.

"We have a hitting competition every month," he said. "As for pitching, I don't try to compete with him because I don't think it's possible to."

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