Rookie Hunter Greene struck out eight batters and allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings, leading the visiting Cincinnati Reds to a 3-1 win over the struggling Miami Marlins on Monday night.
Greene (4-12), the second overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, did not issue a walk and only surrendered a single to fellow rookie Charles Leblanc to earn the win. Greene did hit two batters, though.
Reds right fielder Albert Almora Jr. went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and one steal. Second baseman Jonathan India added an RBI single.
Hunter Strickland, who was recently activated off the bereavement list, allowed one run in the ninth but picked up his seventh save of the season.
Cincinnati had Tommy Pham in the lineup as of Monday afternoon, but he was scratched before first pitch when news came that he had been traded to the Boston Red Sox. Matt Reynolds started in place of Pham in left field.
Miami has lost four straight games, scoring a total of just eight runs during its skid.
Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo (2-4) took the loss, pitching for the first time since straining his left forearm on May 10. He allowed three hits, no walks and two runs in five innings, striking out five.
Cincinnati got to Luzardo in the second inning on a rally set up by singles from Joey Votto and Donovan Solano. With two outs, Almora lofted an opposite-field, two-run double down the right-field line to put the Reds up 2-0.
Almora doubled again in the seventh. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch by reliever Steven Okert. With two outs, India stroked an RBI single on a 2-2 slider, giving the Reds a 3-0 advantage.
The Reds threatened in the eighth as Jake Fraley singled, and Votto walked with no outs. But second baseman Joey Wendle’s diving stop helped turn Kyle Farmer’s hard-hit grounder into a double play.
Miami got on the board in the ninth on pinch hitter Nick Fortes’ RBI single. Strickland went on to get Jacob Stallings to fly out to shallow center, stranding three runners.
–Field Level Media
