Cincinnati right-hander Hunter Greene flirted with history Thursday night, taking a no-hitter deep into the seventh inning before finishing off a one-hit shutout in the Reds’ 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. Greene retired the first 12 batters he faced before Moises Ballesteros reached on a fielding error to start the fifth, ending the perfect game bid but keeping the no-hitter intact. He held the Cubs hitless until Seiya Suzuki lined a two-out double in the seventh, the lone knock of the night against him.
From there, Greene slammed the door. The 25-year-old went the distance for his first career complete game shutout, striking out nine and walking one while throwing 109 pitches. His final pitch — a 101.5 mph fastball to strike out Ian Happ — was his hardest of the night, a statement finish that underscored his dominance.
The Reds gave him just enough offense when Austin Hays doubled in the fourth and scored on Will Benson’s RBI double, producing the game’s only run. Cubs starter Colin Rea struck out a career-high 11 over seven innings, but Greene refused to let Cincinnati’s slim margin slip away.
Statistically, Greene has vaulted himself into elite company among National League pitchers. His ERA now sits at 2.74, inside the league’s top five, and his WHIP of 0.92 ranks among the very best. He also continues to average more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings, placing him in the upper tier of NL arms. The performance was a stark turnaround from his previous outing against Oakland, when he was chased after just 2 1/3 innings.
By outdueling a Cubs team that had already clinched a postseason berth, Greene gave the Reds exactly what they needed to stay alive in the Wild Card hunt — and proved again that he’s developing into one of the most overpowering pitchers in the league.