​CINCINNATI (AP) — Hunter Greene understood that the emotions of his season-opening start played a part in what was one of the toughest performances of his career last week. On Friday night, however, the Reds’ ace reminded everyone just how dominant he can be when he’s at his best. The right-hander struck out 12, yielded only three hits, and worked seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. “Like I mentioned in my first game, the excitement got to me,” Greene said. “You have to have a short-term memory in this game, and I feel like as soon as you’re able to turn the page, you can get your first steps into success going into your next start. That doesn’t mean forgetting or neglecting what you didn’t do right in the prior game, but it’s not going down a rabbit hole at the same time.”
Greene’s 12 strikeouts tied for the second-most in his five-year career, and he did not allow a Cubs runner to reach base after second base. It marked the ninth time since 1900 that a Cincinnati pitcher had at least seven scoreless innings, 12 or more strikeouts, and one walk or fewer; the last such performance was Tyler Mahle on June 14, 2022, against Arizona. Greene has faced injuries since earning NL All-Star honors in 2024. He missed the first three months of the season after undergoing elbow surgery on March 11 to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He also spent time on the injured list last year due to a right groin strain.
The 26-year-old Greene demonstrated early in the game that Friday’s performance would not echo his July 4 start against Baltimore, when he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and matched a career high with eight earned runs allowed. He struck out six of the first 10 hitters, attacking the strike zone with his fastball and expanding it by mixing in his slider. In the first three innings, he allowed only one hit—a double by Seiya Suzuki—and needed just 38 pitches, 29 of them strikes. “He had power to his fastball,” said Reds manager Terry Francona. “Then when he started maybe achieving a little bit, he was throwing off speed. When you’re pounding the zone and you have to start respecting different speeds or different locations, that can be difficult. I think that’s why you start seeing some quicker outs because they are starting to hit something early.”
Greene’s only real jam came in the seventh, when Chicago had runners on first and second with one out, but Nico Hoerner lined out to center and Michael Conforto struck out. He threw 68 strikes on 93 pitches and recorded 19 first-pitch strikes in the 25 hitters he faced. “He was not in good form in his first start. He was in good form this start, and it’s a really good fastball to both sides,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. The performance again showcased Greene’s potential as one of Cincinnati’s brightest young arms, capable of delivering a dominant outing when he’s at the top of his game.