Even a 96.6 mph come-backer didn’t disrupt Hunter Greene’s assault on the Washington Nationals‘ lineup.
In the top of the third inning May 2, the Nationals’ C.J. Abrams cracked a line drive up the middle. Greene, the Cincinnati Reds‘ ace, had his back turned after following through on his delivery, and the ball hit him around the pitching shoulder area of his back.
Greene said there was no doubt in his mind he’d stay in the game.
“When they came out to the mound, I just told them I need to keep moving,” Greene said. “The more that I sit or the more that I continue to talk, the tighter it’s gonna get… The thought never crossed my mind of coming out of the game.”
After reassuring Reds medical staff he could continue, Greene struck out Nationals slugger James Wood.
Greene would pitch three more innings, too, going six in total and allowing a lone run − a solo home run to Josh Bell in the fifth inning. Greene (4-2) also struck out 12 and allowed just two hits over his 114 pitches as the Reds defeated Washington, 6-1, at Great American Ball Park before a crowd of 19,509.
Originally scheduled for 6:10 p.m., the contest was delayed 1:51 for rain and storms. Greene threw the first pitch of the game at 8:01 p.m.
Once the game started, Greene was on top of Washington throughout his outing, which was his seventh start of 2025. Fourteen of the 22 batters Greene faced started their at-bats trailing in the count.
“His stuff tonight was, I thought, dominant,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “Then, (the Nationals) do a good job of not giving in. Like, the first time through the order, he threw some really good off-speed pitches to go with his fastball, and they started making some adjustments and they didn’t get hits, but they made him work.”
In general, few Washington hitters survived to see the base path between first and second base. That was true after Greene exited the game, too, as Scott Barlow (one inning), Tony Santillan (one inning) and Emilio Pagán closed out the game in relief for Cincinnati.
Pagan struck out the side after walking the leadoff batter of the ninth, giving the Reds 17 strikeouts on the night.
In triggering a promotion for free pizza with his 11th strikeout, Greene said, “it’s nice to be a man of the people, so I was trying to get some pizza for the crowd.”
Santillan ran into some traffic when he allowed two singles, but he worked out of the eighth inning. Prior to a two-out walk allowed by Barlow in the seventh inning, Reds relievers had retired 37 consecutive batters − the third-longest streak by any MLB bullpen in the expansion era (since 1961), according to Elias.
Offensively, Tyler Stephenson played a starring role in his 2025 debut following a mid-March oblique strain and an extended stay on the injured list. Stephenson went 2-for-2 with a walk, two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
“Regardless of results, even if those two (hits) were outs, I would have been happy just for controlling the at-bats,” Stephenson said. “For sure happy with a couple hits and a walk.”
Stephenson’s two-run double in the third inning put the Reds ahead, 5-0, and provided Greene with ample breathing room on the scoreboard. Stephenson would later double to lead off the sixth inning and scored on T.J. Friedl’s sacrifice fly for 6-1.
Stephenson’s presence was appreciated by Francona in light of Austin Hays being put on the 10-day injured list on Friday (retroactive to Tuesday).
“Losing Hays really hurts us,” Francona said. “Now, you get that other right-handed bat and (Stephenson’s) a major league veteran player. Yeah, it does help.”
Santiago Espinal got the Reds started early, plating two runs on a double in the first inning. Washington starting pitcher Mitchell Parker (3-2) struggled for control and walked Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz. Espinal made Parker pay by driving both Reds in.
De La Cruz went hitless for the second consecutive game but extended his career-best streak of reaching base to 21 games with the first-inning walk.
The Reds and Nationals are scheduled to play the second game of their three-game series Saturday at 6:40 p.m. Cincinnati is scheduled to send starter Nick Lodolo (3-2, 2.25 ERA) out against Washington’s Trevor Williams (1-3, 5.70 ERA).