Hunter Greene matched a career high with 11 strikeouts over six no-hit innings but left after throwing 110 pitches, and the Cincinnati Reds mashed a season-high 19 hits during a 9-0 rout of the host Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Greene (1-4) was stellar in his 11th start, allowing two walks and dominating Chicago hitters. However, the right-hander was pulled after throwing his second-most pitches of 2023. Eduardo Salazar, in his second major league appearance, pitched a perfect seventh before yielding singles to Christopher Morel and Miles Mastrobuoni in the eighth.
Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Tyler Stephenson and Stuart Fairchild each had three hits en route to Cincinnati’s fourth win in 12 games.
Fairchild and Kevin Newman each had two of the Reds’ season-high seven doubles, and Jose Barrero also had two hits apiece as the Reds roughed up Chicago starter Justin Steele (6-2).
Among the major league leaders entering Friday with an overall 2.20 ERA, Steele endured his worst outing of 2023. Lasting a season-low 3 2/3 innings, Steele allowed season highs in runs (six) — five earned — and hits (10) for Chicago.
The Cubs were blanked for the first time this season and been outscored 19-1 in losing two straight. They fell to 11-22 since opening the season 11-6.
Cincinnati tagged Steele for two runs in the first. Promising rookie McLain reached on an infield hit and scored courtesy of a triple by Steer, who extended his hitting streak to nine games. Steer came home via a single from Stephenson.
The Reds added another in the third, when Stepheson doubled on a ball right fielder Morel lost in the sun and couldn’t track. Cincinnati made it 6-0 in the fourth on Barrero’s RBI single, Jonathan India’s sacrifice fly and a single from Stephenson that scored Curt Casali, who had reached on a fielder’s choice error by Steele.
That ended a miserable afternoon for Steele, who pitched into the sixth in each of his first 10 2023 starts.
Cincinnati scored again in the fifth via back-to-back doubles by Fairchild and Newman. Casali drove in two runs on a single in the ninth.
–Field Level Media