PITTSBURGH — Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene and reliever Art Warren combined to allow zero hits in a complete game, but it didn’t count as a no-hitter — or even a win — because the Pittsburgh Pirates eked out a run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 1-0 win.
“I’m not focused on wins or losses this year. That’s not my focus. I felt really good about where all my pitches were,” Greene said post-game.
Greene threw 118 pitches with nine strikeouts, pitching seven and a third — his longest outing of the season. This was the first time this season that Greene pitched past the sixth inning.
The Reds only had four hits, leaving five runners on. Three of them were in scoring position.
“The way he did it was just amazing to watch,” Manager David Bell said on Greene’s performance.
This was the sixth time in big league history (since 1901) that a team has won despite having no hits. It last happened in 2008 when Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo of the Angels lost while holding the Dodgers with zero hits.
By Major League Baseball record-keeping rules, Cincinnati’s accomplishment isn’t an official no-hitter because its pitchers didn’t go at least nine innings.
Cincinnati’s opponents have outscored the Reds 38 to 23 in games Greene has started.
Greene, the prized Reds rookie and second overall draft pick in 2017, was pulled with one out in the eighth inning. Warren gave up an RBI groundout to Ke’Bryan Hayes for the only run.
The Reds are off Monday and head to Cleveland for a two-game series against the Guardians. Cincinnati then wraps-up this nine-game road trip with a weekend series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Greene is scheduled to pitch again Saturday in Toronto.
The Reds fall to 9-26 in the season — still a league-worst record.
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