The indicator that Greene left his stuff in the clubhouse surfaced immediately when he gave up back-to-back home runs to Baltimore’s first two hitters, Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson.
And it didn’t get better. He survived only three innings and gave up five runs, six hits, three homers and a pair of walks as his earned run average exploded from 0.98 to 2.35.
His biggest mistake, though, was hitting Heston Kjerstad with a pitch in the first inning that knocked him out of the game.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
His replacement was Ramon Laureano, 2 for 17 with seven strikeouts when he entered the game. With the score tied 3-3, Laureano launched a two-run home run in the third to push the garish-clad Orioles (orange uniforms head-to-toe) to a 5-3 lead.
And it was another indicator that Greene, on this day, was unarmed and not dangerous. The home run came on a slider. Before the game started, opposing hitters were 0 for 29 with 15 strikeouts swinging at Greene’s slider this season.
And Laureano later hit another homer as the Orioles drove five out of the ball park.
With Greene’s short appearance and the bullpen depleted, manager Terry Francona was forced to use Carson Spiers in relief and he pitched the final four innings.
He was originally scheduled to pitch Sunday, forcing the Reds to scramble for a starter in the series finale.
The Reds, though, were never out of it. They faced rookie pitcher Brandon Young, making his major league debut.
Eight of the first 10 Reds reached base and three scored to forge the 3-3 tie. From there it was offense frustration, with a capital ‘F.’
The Reds had 13 hits and were issued eight walks — 21 baserunners but only five runs. They were 4 for 17 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13.
TJ Friedl was on base five straight times and never scored. The Reds had runners on base in every inning but the third. They had the leadoff hitter on base in the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth, but scored only two runs, the second run on Austin Hays leadoff homer that made it 9-5.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Twice they had the bases loaded and didn’t score.
“It was tough watching that game,” said Greene, now 2-and-2. “The boys swung it from the first pitch until the very last. And to not be able to provide on my side, my responsibility, is tough watching that all the way through. So I feel for the guys today.
“I put them in a very tough position early on,” he said. “I gotta be able to go out there and keep us in the game. Command was not great today. Obviously, that’s a good hitting team, so you gotta be able to execute your pitches. And I fell short of that today.”
After Taylor Rogers pitched a scoreless fourth, Spiers pitched a scoreless fifth and sixth and retired the first two in the seventh, trying to keep the score at Baltimore 5, Cincinnati 4.
But Laureano homered again and right after him Jordan Westburg, 0 for 30, also homered. And the tiring Spiers walked two in the eighth that led to two more runs and a 9-4 deficit.
“You know what? Carson wore it like a trooper,” said Francona. “I mean, he was out of gas. I knew it and D.J. (pitching coach Derek Johnson) knew it.
“There wasn’t really anything we could do about it and that’s not a good feeling,” he added. “We had three relievers that weren’t available. We were kinda up against it.
“We were close (5-4) and I knew Spiers was getting tired. There was nothing to do. It was frustrating and I felt bad about it. We have to get through tomorrow and we don’t have a day off Monday, so he just had to wear it.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Of his team’s struggle to provide a key hit, Francona said, “Early on, especially, we had a bunch of hits but didn’t get the big hit. But we kept after ‘em.”
The first rally was intercepted in the first. The Reds scored a run and with runners on second and first with one out, Santiago Espinal singled to right.
Third base coach J.R. House waved Austin Hays homeward and right fielder Tyler O’Neill threw a 95 miles an hour bullet to wipe out Hays at home.
Jake Fraley opened the second inning with a 429-foot home run that cleared the right field bleachers and crash landed on Eutaw Street to tie the game, 2-2.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Jeimer Candelario walked and Young picked him off first base. Jose Trevino and Friedl followed with back-to-back doubles for a run. It could have been more had Candelario not been picked off.
And the Reds hit into a pair of double plays.
Friedl was 4-for-4 with a walk, but didn’t score because Matt McLain, batting behind him, was 0 for 5 and hit into a double play with two on.
Elly De La Cruz, batting third, was 1-for-4 with a walk, but didn’t drive in a run.
So who starts Sunday’s game for the Reds?
“We obviously have to reconfigure our thinking and we’ll figure it out in a little bit,” said Francona after the game.
NEXT GAME
What: Reds at Orioles
When: Sunday, April 20, 1:35 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM
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