Cincinnati rookie right-hander Hunter Greene tossed 7 1/3 no-hit innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon but the visiting Reds lost 1-0 despite tossing a combined no-hitter.
It was the sixth time in major league history that a team lost while not allowing a hit in a game.
Greene, 22, struck out nine and walked five and threw 118 pitches before manager David Bell removed him with two runners on in the eighth inning.
“I’m not focused on (personal) wins and losses this year; that’s not my focus,” Greene said afterward. “It is what it is, but I felt good with where all my pitches were. I’m very confident in myself. It’s hard on the mental side to not let your mind drift to that (no-hit) accolade but I think you have to embrace all the thoughts and emotions in that moment and go out there and have fun.”
The second overall pick in the 2017 draft, Greene was making his seventh career start. He was sent back out for the eighth inning after throwing 103 pitches through seven. He was the first Reds pitcher to go at least seven innings this season.
Greene induced Jack Suwinski to bounce out to first to start the eighth before walking both Rodolfo Castro and Michael Perez on full-count pitches.
Right-hander Art Warren entered and walked Ben Gamel on four pitches to load the bases. Ke’Bryan Hayes bounced into a fielder’s choice to score Castro.
“To not even get a hit in a game and to get a win, I’m sure that hasn’t happened a lot since baseball has been going on,” Hayes said afterward. “So just glad we were able to get that win.”
Greene entered the game with a 1-5 record and a 7.62 ERA.
Cincinnati had just four hits.
This was the second time a National League team lost a game without giving up a hit. Ken Johnson of the Houston Colts .45s fell 1-0 to the Reds in 1964 while accomplishing the feat.
It also has happened four times in American League Games.
Steve Barber and Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles lost 2-1 to the Detroit Tigers in 1967, Andy Hawkins of the New York Yankees lost 4-0 to the Chicago White Sox in 1990, Matt Young of the Boston Red Sox lost 2-1 to the Cleveland Indians in 1992 and Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo of the Los Angeles Angels fell 1-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008.
–Field Level Media
