De La Cruz was the Reds only baserunner with two hits off Irvin for 6 1/3 innings and the Orioles posted a 3-0 victory Friday night in Great American Ball Park.
And the Reds finished the game with two hits and no baserunners other than De La Cruz.
The defeat dropped the Reds to .500 (16-16) and they fell a season-high 4 1/2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.
Inclement weather delayed the game’s start 2 hours and 41 minutes, and the wait was not worth it for the Reds.
Reds starter Hunter Greene matched all the zeros Irvin strung across the scoreboard, but did it with more escapes than Mark DeFriest, who escaped from prison seven times.
The Orioles had runners on base in five of the six innings in which Greene pitched and he wriggled free each time. The Orioles were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position with Greene on the mound.
When Greene left after 5 2/3 innings and 109 pitches, his scoreless streak over his last two starts reached 14 2/3 innings and the score was 0-0.
The Reds wore their black City Connect uniforms, but nobody but De La Cruz could connect against Irvin.
The Orioles, 21-11 and leading the American League East, broke through in the seventh inning against Emilio Pagan with three runs and that was trouble for the Reds. Baltimore is now 13-2 when it scores first.
It began with a single by No. 9 hitter Jorge Mateo and he stole second. With one out, Adley Rutschman doubled to right center, scoring Mateo. Ryan O’Hearn crushed a long home run into the right field seats and it was 3-0.
De La Cruz singled in the first inning and stole second. But Spencer Steer struck out and Tyler Stephenson grounded out.
After De La Cruz’s first-inning single, Irvin retired 17 straight and had the Reds kicking up dirt with 11 ground ball outs. Many were hit hard, but the Baltimore infielders stopped all 11.
De La Cruz ended the 17 straight outs with a double leading off the seventh and Irvin struck out Steer. And that was the end for Irvin.
He left with a string of 20 2/3 scoreless innings and it was his third straight start without giving up a run.
While Irvin cruised, Greene was bruised but not beaten.
—The Orioles had a hit and a walk in the first inning but didn’t score.
—The Orioles had a two-out walk in the second but didn’t score.
—The Orioles had a leadoff runner on second in the third but didn’t score.
—Greene pitched his only 1-2-3 inning in the fourth.
—The Orioles had two on with one out in the fifth but didn’t score.
—The Orioles had two on with one out in the fifth but didn’t score. Fernando Cruz relieved Greene with two outs and two on and struck out Cedric Mullins.
Then came Pagan and there went the game, Cincinnati’s fifth loss in their last seven games.
When the Reds rid themselves of Irvin, it didn’t get better. Relief pitchers Yennier Cano, Danny Coulombe and Craig Kimbrel retired the final eight Reds in a row.
And closer Kimbrell rubbed salt into the open wounds by striking out the side in the ninth — pinch-hitter Will Benson, Jonathan India and De La Cruz.
By winning the first game of the three-game set, the Orioles made certain they would not get swept. The O’s have now played 102 series since they were last swept.
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