So he took matters into his own hands ... iterally. He struck out the first six Colorado Rockies batters and seven of the first eight.
And he got some offensive relief via poker-hot Tyler Stephenson, who was at least All-World on this day. Celebrating the recent birth of a daughter, Savannah, Stephenson homered twice and drove in five runs.
Over the last three games, Stephenson hit three homers and two doubles. And the two-homer game was the first of his career, plus the five RBI are a career best.
The Greene/Stephenson combination provided the Reds with an 8-1 victory, giving the Reds three wins in the four-game series.
Additional offensive help came for the top two spots in the Reds order —three hits and two runs scored from Jonathan India and three hits and two runs scored by Spencer Steer. It all added up to a 14-hit day for the Reds.
Rookie Rece Hinds continued her personal coming-out party with two more hits and Santiago Espinal added a pair of hits that included a home run.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Greene most likely offered to take Stephenson, India and Steer out for prime rib in appreciation of their prime hitting. But it was his day and they should buy him a steak.
Over his last three starts, Greene has given up two earned runs and struck out 23 in 17 2/3 innings.
Greene pitched six innings Thursday, 101 pitches, and gave up two hits while striking out a season’s best 10. He struck every occupant of the Rockies lineup at least once with a combinatioon of high-velocity fastballs and deep-diving sliders.
“Being able to land my slider and I felt like I could throw it whenver throughout the count,” said Greene, diagnosing his performance in the post-game interview room. “Being able to land that pitch was really important for me. I made sure I locked that in during my bullpen sessions before the game started.”
He locked in his slider then locked down the Rockies.
“My slider has been an outlier for the last few years,, a pitch that’s been able to keep guys off my fastball, as well as my splitter,” he added. “It’s a pitch I’ve always had confidence in.”
Now it’s off to the All-Star game for Greene and he said he plans to enjoy the four days and smell the roses, but he focus is on his next start for the Reds.
“After the game I was on the (stationary) bike, talking about prepping for my next start,” he said. “I want to make sure I’m ready for my first game back. I’ll try to relax, smell the roses, but at the same time, it’s a reality, I have to be ready coming back.”
His only miscue was a dangling slider to Michael Toglia, and he deposited it 407 feet into the right field seats. The other hit was an excuse-me ground ball just inside first base, a two-out single by Ezequiel Tovar in the fourth.
It looked as if it were more of the same when Greene pitches in the Reds’ first inning against Colorado starter Austin Gomber.
India walked and took third on Steer’s single. Steer stole second, putting runners on third and second with no outs.
And they didn’t score.
Jeimer Candelario grounded hard to short, then Stephenson and Noelvi Marte both struck out.
The same situation surfaced in the third when India singled and took second when left fielder Sam Hilliard bobbled the ball. Steer doubled off the shortstop’s glove and India was only able to take third.
Once again the Reds populated third and second with no outs. Once again Candelario made an unproductive out, a pop-up.
That brought up Stephenson, who struck out in the same situation in the first. This time he grasped the jackpot, sending Gomber’s first pitch just over the right field wall, just 338 feet, but it was worth three runs and a 3-0 lead.
Santiago Espinal made it 4-0 in the fourth and it was eerily deja vu. Espinal was playing shortstop for only the second time this season as Elly De La Cruz took a day off.
It was only De La Cruz’s second day off and the last time he rested Espinal played shortstop ... and homered.
Toglia’s homer came in the fifth, cutting Cincinnati’s lead to 4-1.
Sam Moll replaced Greene in the seventh and trouble arose. A walk and a single put Rockies on third and first with two outs. Fernando Cruz arrived to extinguish the rally, a pop fly from Hunter Goodman.
Colorado relief pitcher Anthony Molina started the seventh and wishes he hadn’t.
India singled, Steer singled, Candelario doubled for two runs and Stephenson added 45 feet to his second home run, 383 feet to left for two more runs and an 8-1 lead.
“It’s an up-and-down season,” said Stephenson, who had a down start to his year. “Ya gotta stay as confident, even during the lows. Tomorrow’s a new day and I have to just come out finish this thing off before the All-Star break.”
If the Reds did sunglasses commercials, based on their success rate during day games, they would not sell many. Their daylight record was a dismal 16-26 before winning Thursday’s day game. They are four over .500 at night (28-24).
Another last place team, the Miami Marlins, open a three-game series in GABP that begins Friday night and takes the season into the All-Star break.
The Marlins are a mirror-image of the Rockies, 32-60 and 28 games out of first place in the National League East.
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