The Cincinnati Reds made the first-place Philadelphia Phillies look like that other team in Pennsylvania, the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Reds plastered the Phillies, 8-0, scoring all eight runs with two outs, to take two of three in the series.
They scored four runs off Cristopher Sanchez, an 11-game winner who had given up two or fewer runs in 11 of his last 12 starts.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
And perhaps the biggest news of all ... Hunter Greene.
Making his first start in two months, Greene mesmerized the high-powered Phillies lineup for six innings — no runs, three hits, no walks and six strikeouts.
Greene, throwing 100 miles an hour fastballs and slice-em-up sliders and splits, showed his advanced maturity and composure in two scenarios.
It was still 0-0 in the third when the Phillies put two on with two outs. Greene struck out Kyle Schwarber with a 101 miles an hour fastball that Schwarber heard but did not see.
The Reds led, 1-0, when Schwarber doubled with two outs in the sixth and took third on a wild pitch. Greene struck out Bryce Harper, Philadelphia’s other super-phenom.
Greene’s six innings and 85 pitches were exactly what Reds manager Tito Francona hoped to get and he got it with much fanfare and aplomb.
“I said before the game, ‘Let’s just watch him pitch,’” Francona told reporters after the game. “He really pitched. That was fun to watch. That’s what we hoped for. It doesn’t always work that way, but it gave us a big lift.
“He was throwing 100 and he was locating with his split and breaking ball,” he added. “That’s a good combination.”
The Reds broke through for a run against Sanchez in the fourth when Austin Hays drew a two-out walk and Noelvi Marte scored him with a double down the left field line.
Cincinnati scored three with two outs in the sixth when the Phillies resembled the Bad News Bears ... or the Pirates.
Ke’Bryan Hayes, who singled his first two times up, drew a one-out walk. TJ Friedl singled but Spencer Steer struck out for the second out.
Marte shot one to left field, easily scoring Hays. When left fielder Brandon Marsh overthrew home for an error, Friedl also scored.
Sanchez picked up the overthrow and threw toward third, trying to get Marte. His throw headed in the direction of Covington, Ky. and Marte scored — a Little League home run.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Reds scored three runs on that one play on which the Phillies made two errors.
Earlier in the game, Marte was thrown out at third trying to advance on the throw on his double.
“I started to say something to Marte when he ran into that out at third,” said Francona. “I stopped myself because I thought, ‘I’m saying too many things during the game,’ and I don’t want to clutter his head.
“I’m glad I didn’t, because he went again the next time and they threw it away,” he added.
The icing on this big game was applied by Miguel Andujar, a two-out grand slam home run in the seventh. And it came against a right-hander, Jason Romano. He threw Andujar five straight sliders to a 2-and-2 count.
And what did he throw on the sixth pitch? Another slider and Andujar dropped it into the left field seats to make it 8-0.
Since the Reds acquired him from the Athletics at the trade deadline to offset left-handed pitching, Andujar has been on base 15 times in 32 plate appearances, more against right-handers than left-handers.
At the moment, it doesn’t matter if Andujar faces left-handers, right-handers or an ambidextrous pitcher.
“I feel good, righties or lefties,” he said. “It doesn’t matter for me. Every time I go to home plate I go with my plan, hit it hard.”
Typically, Francona was super-appreciative of Andujar’s big swing, but he was more enamored about what happened on the previous play.
With two outs and two on, Elly De La Cruz grounded to second. The third out? No, first baseman Bryce Harper wandered too far off the bag and De La Cruz hustled down the line and beat it for a hit, enabling Andujar to bat.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“Andujar with the grand slam was awesome,” said Francona. “But if Elly doesn’t get down the line, he doesn’t hit. I don’t want that to ever get overlooked.
“You don’t always see that on some teams,” he added. “These guys do that. I appreciate it and it helps. I told them from day one, it will help us win games. They’ve bought in and they do it. That’s how we have to play.”
The Reds began the series 15-and-20 against left-handed starters, but in the last two games beat two of the best, Ranger Suarez and Sanchez. And they outscored the Phillies in the two wins, 14-1, and outhit them 20-8.
After a day off, the Reds open a three-game series Friday night against the poker-hot Milwaukee Brewers, winners of 12 straight.
Even with his short time with the Reds, Andujar has bought in to Francona’s mantra to focus on that day’s game and nothing else.
When asked how it feels to go from a forlorn Athletics team to a team on the precipice of the playoffs, he said, “When I came here, I just said I want to win games. One day at a time, one game at a time. We want to win, we want to compete every game and try to win the most games that we can.”
NEXT GAME
Who: Milwaukee at Cincinnati
When: 6:40 p.m.
TV: AppleTV+
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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