​CINCINNATI (AP) — Hunter Greene delivered a dominant seven-inning gem, fanning 12 and allowing only three hits as the Cincinnati Reds shut out the Chicago Cubs 4-0 on Friday night. Elly De La Cruz and JJ Bleday supplied the offense with home runs, and Greene (1-1) bounced back strong after missing the first three months of the season following elbow surgery on March 11 to remove bone chips from his right elbow. His first appearance of the season did not go well; a July 4 matchup against Baltimore saw him yield eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings, matching a career high, and marking a rough debut.
Greene found his form in a big way this time, throwing 68 strikes among 93 pitches and registering one of the standout performances of his five-year career. His 12 strikeouts tied for the second-most in his career, and he worked ahead on the count with 19 first-pitch strikes against the 25 batters he faced. He permitted just four baserunners, and only two managed to advance to second base. In the seventh, Chicago had runners on first and second with one out, but Nico Hoerner lined out to center and Michael Conforto struck out to end the threat.
The Reds provided Greene with early cushion. De La Cruz led off the fifth by sending a fastball from Cubs starter Shota Imanaga (5-8) into the seats in left-center for a leadoff homer. He also collected a triple into the right-field corner and later scored on Sal Stewart’s sacrifice fly, pushing Cincinnati’s lead to 2-0. The momentum continued when Spencer Steer, who collected three hits on the night, followed with an infield single. Then Bleday launched Jake Woodford’s cutter over the center-field wall for a home run, increasing the advantage.
Cubs hitters, meanwhile, struggled to solve the Reds pitching staff, setting a season-high with 15 strikeouts against Cincinnati’s trio of relievers. Chicago will send right-hander Javier Assad (6-1, 4.15 ERA) to the mound in the next game, while Cincinnati counters with left-hander Nick Lodolo (3-2, 4.68 ERA).
Emilio Pagán closed the game for Cincinnati, earning his eighth save in 11 opportunities. The Reds’ win highlighted Greene’s return to form, De La Cruz’s impact at the plate, and Bleday’s timely power, all contributing to a decisive 4-0 victory over their National League Central rivals.