MLB report: Hunter Greene throws six hitless innings in Reds victory over Cubs

Hunter Greene saw the no-hit bid come to an end and went back to his conversation with the strength coach.

The righthander was out of the game after throwing six hitless innings. The Cincinnati Reds were well on their way to a 9-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday, and that's what mattered to him.

“There's going to be growing pains,” Greene said. “I'm trying to figure stuff out. We have a young group, young core of players. They're going to be figuring things out. We're working hard every single day. We're putting pieces together, and it's gonna pay off very soon.”

Greene (1-4) set the tone as the Reds came within six outs of the majors' first no-hitter this season. He matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in picking up his first win in 11 starts this season.

There have been 17 no-hitters by Cincinnati, the most recent coming on May 7, 2021, when Wade Miley tossed one against the Cleveland Guardians.

Greene had the Reds in position to add to that list. But the Cubs got their only two hits in the eighth against Eduardo Salazar.

The hard-throwing Greene walked two while throwing 110 pitches. And other than a fly to the warning track by Nico Hoerner in the sixth, there weren’t many hard hit balls against the right-hander.

“He wasn't gonna be bullied today,” catcher Curt Casali said. “He was going to be the aggressor. With that type of stuff, a high-octane fastball, that's what you have to do — dare them to hit it. I think it was a positive step for him, for sure. That's just the tip of the iceberg for him.”

Salazar, making his second major league appearance, retired all three batters in the seventh before Christopher Morel lined a single to center leading off the eighth. Miles Mastrobuoni singled with one out.

Cubs manager David Ross said outfielder Cody Bellinger (bruised left knee) is “getting better," but still experiencing pain. Bellinger was eligible to come off the injured list on Friday.

DeGrom looks good in bullpen

Texas Rangers righthander Jacob deGrom threw 31 pitches during a bullpen session, mixing his pitches without showing any apparent sign of pain.

The injured pitcher threw in front of Texas manager Bruce Bochy and others before the Rangers faced the Baltimore Orioles.

The big questions now are: How will the 34-year-old pitcher feel in the aftermath of his latest throwing session? And when will he return from the injured list, where he's languished with right elbow inflammation for nearly a month?

“He felt fine,” Bochy said. “Now it's just wait and see how he recovers from that.”

DeGrom has been on the 15-day injured list since April 29. That was a day after he departed early for the second time in his last three starts, and an MRI showed inflammation . . . Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was activated from the bereavement list Friday and will start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Rays righthander Tyler Glasnow was set to make his regular-season debut Saturday. Sidelined since spring training by a strained left oblique, he made four minor league starts, — AP