News - Greene Struggles in Comeback as Reds Lose to Orioles 8-5

The Cincinnati Reds' hope for a victorious return of pitcher Hunter Greene was thwarted as they fell to an 8-5 defeat against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, July 4, at Great American Ball Park. Greene, who had been recovering from surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, made his much-anticipated season debut but struggled to control his performance. Despite early promise, with Cincinnati's players for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, Sal Stewart and Chase Burns, being announced and rallying the team to overcome an initial 3-0 deficit, Greene's outing went off track in the fourth inning. The Baltimore Orioles took the opportunity to load the bases and claimed a 5-4 lead with no outs, which eventually led to Greene's exit. He ended his brief stint having allowed eight runs on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking four batters. The Reds' offense, which was bright initially, faltered after Greene's exit. After pulling to 8-5 with a run in the seventh inning, they struggled to reclaim the lead. The night concluded with potential in the ninth as Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart reached bases, but a rapid succession of outs extinguished any comeback hopes. On a positive note, Rhett Lowder transitioned to the bullpen, providing solid relief along with Sam Moll and Julian Garcia, as they combined to keep the Orioles scoreless for the rest of the game. Nevertheless, the inability to generate more runs resulted in another series loss for the Reds, placing them at 40-48 this season. Attempting to avoid a second consecutive home sweep, Cincinnati will place their hopes in Nick Lodolo as he takes the mound against Baltimore's Kyle Bradish in Sunday's series finale. While the Reds aim to regain momentum, fans can watch the game on Peacock, a change from the usual Reds.tv broadcast.