CINCINNATI — Reds rookie starting pitcher Hunter Greene already had a start this season where he allowed no hits over 7 1/3 innings. On Monday vs. the D-backs, Greene’s performance was even better, and it personified domination.
After a leadoff bunt single in the first inning, Greene retired the next 20 batters in a row and faced the minimum 21 over seven innings in Cincinnati’s 7-0 victory over Arizona. The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning because of torrential downpours at Great American Ball Park.
Daulton Varsho opened the game with a bunt to the left side on the infield. Greene was first to the ball but had no play and held the ball, and Varsho had an easy single. But as Josh Rojas struck out in the next at-bat, Varsho was caught stealing by catcher Tyler Stephenson’s throw to second base.
From there, nothing got in the 22-year-old Greene’s way until the rain began. Over his seven-inning complete game, he struck out eight with no walks.
Brandon Drury’s solo homer off Madison Bumgarner in the first inning gave the Reds a 1-0 lead, and they added on with one run in the second inning and Kyle Farmer’s two-out, two-run double in the fifth inning, as well as three more runs in the seventh — including Stephenson’s two-run double.