Hunter Greene Strikes Out 12 as Reds Beat Nationals 6-1 in Rain-Delayed Game

After a long rain delay on Friday night, Hunter Greene made sure Reds fans left the ballpark with something to cheer about. The 24-year-old flamethrower put on a show, striking out 12 and allowing just two hits over six brilliant innings. Cincinnati took care of business with a 6-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

Let’s take a look at what went down on a soggy but electric night in Cincinnati.

How good was Hunter Greene?

Simply put—he was nasty.

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Greene struck out 12 batters, the second-most of his MLB career. He averaged 99 mph with his fastball and had 21 swings and misses on the night. That’s dominance.

He threw 114 pitches, which is the most by any big league pitcher this season. And 83 of those were strikes. Greene came right after hitters, starting 16 of the 22 batters he faced with a strike.

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He’s now 4-2 with a sharp 2.53 ERA. And if you’re wondering, his only better strikeout game was back in 2023 when he fanned 14 against the Twins.

Did the Nationals put up a fight?

Not really.

The Nationals managed just two hits all night, and Greene made sure every hitter in their lineup struck out at least once. Their only real highlight came when CJ Abrams hit a line drive single in the third inning for Washington’s first hit.

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The Reds pitching staff as a whole racked up 17 strikeouts, tying their season-high and setting a season-worst mark for Nationals hitters.

Who stepped up offensively for the Reds?

It was a full team effort, but Tyler Stephenson made a big impact in his return. After missing time with a left oblique strain, he doubled in two runs in the third inning, helping Cincinnati jump to a 5-0 lead.

Also stepping up:

• Santiago Espinal hit a two-run double in the first.
• Matt McLain grounded into a run-scoring forceout in the second.
• And Elly De La Cruz didn’t get a hit, but walked in the first to stretch his on-base streak to 21 games. That’s the kind of consistency every team wants from their leadoff guy.

What happened on the mound for the Nationals?

Mitchell Parker started for Washington and just didn’t have it. He walked four batters in four innings, and all four of them came around to score. He also gave up four hits and was pulled early.

His line: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 ER. Rough night.

Was there any offense from Washington?

Just a little.

Josh Bell crushed a fastball for a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was his fifth homer of the season and gave the Nationals their only run of the night.

That was all they could manage.

How did the rain delay affect things?

The game got off to a slow start because of a 1-hour, 51-minute rain delay. But once things got going, Greene made sure there was no rust. He came out firing and didn’t miss a beat.

What’s next for the Reds and Nationals?

The two teams meet again on Saturday. The Nationals will send out RHP Trevor Williams (1-3, 5.70 ERA), while the Reds hand the ball to LHP Nick Lodolo (3-2, 2.25 ERA).

With Greene setting the tone, the Reds will be looking to build on the momentum.