CHICAGO — Reds young starter Hunter Greene may one day run the distance and achieve his own no-hitter. Friday wasn’t the day, but his cheating happened again.
In a 9-0 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Cincinnati, Green threw no hits in six innings for the second time in his major league career, striking out 11 in his career. I lined up high.
“It’s great if you can throw long distance,” said Green, who threw 110 pitches. “I want to go no-hitter in the 9th inning. That’s not normal. I’m concentrating on now.”
The 23-year-old Green, who also scored his first win of 2023, allowed two walks on his only base run of the day. Only three times did the Cubs put the ball in the air, and only two times it bounced in and out. Those were the last two hitters in the game.
Green’s fastball was the best this afternoon. He threw 67 times and averaged 98.3 mph with a top speed of 160.5 mph. It was on this pitch that he struck out eight of them.
“He was in a different gear today,” said catcher Kurt Cazali. “Every time I looked up at him, it looked like it was either 99 or 100. It was tough to keep up. When he was in that zone and above that zone, it was even better. increase.”
The Cubs had 28 foul balls in 67 strikes, leaving Green with no chance of finishing the game.
“It’s great to be 0-2 on two foul balls. Can we kill this guy on the third pitch? That’s what I’m working on,” Green said. “I’m trying to reduce the pitch.”
The only inning in which Green didn’t strike out was in the sixth, when Tucker Bernhardt got a ground ball and Nico Horner and Dansby Swanson each flew out.
“His most effective inning was in the sixth.
Green also worked with Casali for the first time this season.
“I’m really used to throwing the bullpen together in spring training,” said Green, who has a 1-4 record and a 4.18 ERA in 11 starts. “I also worked with him a few times in the off-season. That’s how our relationship started. …He does a great job. He has experience. It helps a lot, especially when the players are still playing.”We’re trying to figure out the league early on.”
Rookie reliever Eduardo Salazar had a no-hitter total with three ground outs in the seventh, but allowed one of two hits to center on Christopher Morrell’s leading line drive single in the bottom of the eighth. bottom.
“At the end of the day, a no-hitter would have been great,” Cazali said. “The shutout is great. I’m very proud of it. It certainly helps me sleep at night.”
On May 15, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Green pitched 7 1/3 innings without a hit but allowed 5 walks. Art Warren kept the remaining two outs scoreless, but the Pirates recorded a run despite losing 1-0 in the eighth inning, falling short of a formal no-hitter.
Green, who signed a six-year, $53 million contract in April, has endured two volatile major league seasons.
“I’m in the early stages of my career. I’m giving myself a chance,” Green said. “Early on, people have come to understand that growing pains are going to happen. I’m trying to understand something. We have a group of young players who will understand things We work hard every day, putting the pieces together.” And it will pay off soon. ”
The youthful Reds lineup played a big role in supporting Green offensively.
Spencer Steer hit an RBI triple off Justin Steele in the first inning and scored on Tyler Stevenson’s RBI single to give Cincinnati a 2–0 lead. Stair finished with three hits and was one shot away from hitting for the cycle.
Stevenson also had three hits and added an RBI in the fourth to give Cincinnati a 6–0 lead. Matt McLain, who made his major league debut on May 15, recorded three hits himself, extending his hitting streak to five games.
A large lead allowed Green to continue attacking in the strike zone.
“He looked like he had a lot of intention with his pitching today. He wasn’t going to be bullied today,” Cazali said. “Go ahead and hit it. I think it was definitely a positive step for him.”
