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Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another Hunter Greene Gem Wasted By the Reds

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Drew Crabtree | Last updated Apr 2, 2025 6:08 PM ET

On Opening Day, Hunter Greene pitched 5.0 innings and allowed two earned runs off three hits while striking out eight and walking one. The Reds lost 6-4 after giving up four runs in the ninth inning. Then, on Wednesday, Greene tossed another gem. This time, he limited the Texas Rangers to one run off three hits over 7.0 innings while striking out nine and walking one. The Reds lost, 1-0.

In a just world, Greene would be 2-0 and his Cy Young odds would begin to move in his favor. Given, wins and losses don't really show the story for pitchers, but to the casual fan, it carries weight. He's off to the best start of his young career and is on a mission. He was an All-Star last year and he looks hungry for even more.

Last year, Greene left eight games while allowing no runs. The Reds were 4-4. Then, on Wednesday, Greene became the fastest player in Reds history to reach 500 strikeouts. He's already one of the premier players in Major League Baseball and is due to be one of the top Reds pitchers in recent memory.

And yet, the Reds dropped their second consecutive 1-0 game at home for the first time since 1907.

Reds fans are growing tired of the slow starts and the squandered gems.

Seeing a generational pitching performance in a 1-0 loss, Reds baseball is truly back. https://t.co/RnV9aPSx7s
— nick (@nickmoscato) April 2, 2025

Score 14 runs on Monday and proceed to get shutout the next two games & drop the series.

3 straight days of phenomenal pitching from the staff and the offense can’t even manage to score 1 run in 18 innings in games 2 & 3.

Awful. https://t.co/87SlEga5Ep
— Braden Powell (@BPowell_8) April 2, 2025

2nd most hitter friendly ballpark in baseball...Zero excuse for this to keep happening. https://t.co/NxYRZ8X1GC
— Cole DeMint (@coledemintC12) April 2, 2025

Just six games into the season, fans are calling for change. Plenty of fans are saying to fire the president of baseball operations, Nick Krall. The issue with firing Krall is the fact that he's doing what he can with what the ownership is giving him. It's like trying to make a gourmet meal with $5 and you can only shop at Dollar General. The Reds' ownership hamstrings the roster because it refuses to/can't pay its stars.

Roster moves are likely imminent, but will the Reds pull the trigger after just six games? The team is traveling up to Milwaukee for a four-game series kicking off on Thursday, so it's unlike that a big move is made. Will Benson and Rece Hinds have been having a strong start in AAA Louisville and could provide a bit more of an exciting pop off of the bench over Jacob Hurtebise or an obviously injured Spencer Steer.

It's a long season and while the Reds are not in as bad of a spot as the winless Atlanta Braves, there are reasons for optimism. The season is not over after six games. However, with seven games against the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants coming up, there is an opportunity to get back on track and not repeat the David Bell era early-season struggles.

Hunter Greene deserves better. The Reds' rotation deserves better, even. This lineup needs to get to a point where it is no longer relying on Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz to cover up the issues of the rest of the group. When it's good, it's 14 runs worth of good. But when it's bad, the team can outscore its opponent 14-5 and lose two out of three.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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