Tyler Stephenson hit two of Cincinnati’s four home runs, leading the Reds to a 6-4 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night, just one day after being no-hit by Blake Snell.
Hunter Greene (8-4) extended his scoreless streak to 21 innings with six innings of one-hit pitching. He has now gone six straight starts within a single season allowing one or zero runs, tying the team record set by Johnny Vander Meer in 1938. Vander Meer pitched back-to-back no-hit games that season.
“It was a super fun game to watch,” Greene said. “I was trying to stay present and locked in so I could do my job. I was sitting there as a fan, like wow.”
Greene is focused on the present but is starting to make history even when he doesn’t have his best performance.
“This game is super humbling,” Greene said. “I haven’t really stepped back and leaned into what this stretch means. I actually take more pride in those starts when I’m not feeling my best, or the fastball isn’t exploding like it did tonight. It’s not a good feeling but you have to lock it in. If you can find a way to use it.
“Hopefully, I could throw two like (Vander Meer) did. That would be fantastic,” Greene said. “That’s cool to know.”
Greene struck out a season-high 11 batters and lowered his ERA to 2.83. He allowed a single to Michael Conforto in the fourth inning, hit a batter, and walked one.
Stephenson got the Reds’ first hit since Wednesday with his 12th home run of the season in the second inning. He also hit a three-run blast to straightaway center in the fourth inning, marking his second multi-homer game in 22 days. His first was against the Colorado Rockies on July 11.
Stephenson and his wife had a daughter on June 16, and he feels it has helped his focus.
“The key is having a daughter,” Stephenson said. “I didn’t think it was a thing but maybe it is. I’ve been aggressive and trying to get pitches to hit and try to get the ball in the air.”
Jonathan India hit his ninth home run of the season into the upper deck in left field in the third inning, and Stuart Fairchild hit his seventh home run off the foul pole in left field in the fourth inning.
