As if this 2022 Major League Baseball season was not embarrassing enough for the Cincinnati Reds; who presently sit in last place (30th) in the MLB with an overall record of 9 and 26 (.257).
On Sunday, May 15th, 2022 the Cincinnati Reds have now found a way to throw a combined no – hitter between their talented rookie starting pitcher, Hunter Greene, and their crafty relief pitcher, Art Warren, during a full/complete 9 – inning MLB game, but the Cincinnati Reds still managed to lose that ball game 1 – 0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ultimately scored the only single run of the baseball game last Sunday during the bottom of the 8th – inning via 3 – base on balls(walks) as well as a groundout which constituted a 1 to 0 victory for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds.
Man, the Cincinnati Reds are Terrible this Year
It is absolutely amazing how bad of a ball club the Cincinnati Reds have been over the course of the first 35 – MLB contests or so during the young and basically just beginning of the 2022 Major League Baseball season for most other MLB franchises.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have now become just the 6th – big – league team in the history of Major League Baseball since the year 1901, that was able to win a major – league ball game despite not getting any hits during that game.
The Last No – Hitter Loss in Major League Baseball
The last time this happened in the MLB was during the 2008 MLB season, when Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondoof the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim lost while holding the Los Angeles Dodgers to zero – hits during that MLB regular season game.
It also Happened back in 1992
Greene took the loss on Sunday, May 15th, 2022, becoming the 1st – MLB pitcher that threw 7 – no – hit – innings, and had to take a loss since Matt Young of the Boston Red Sox did so versus the Cleveland Indians way back in 1992.
“It would have been great to have a different result, but it is what it is,” the Cincinnati Reds rookie starting pitcher, Hunter Greene, stated.
This Game last Sunday was Not Officially Scored an MLB No – Hitter
According to the Major League Baseball record – keeping rules, the Cincinnati Reds’ achievement from last Sunday was not scored as an official no – hitter due to the fact that neither of the pitchers involved in the no – hitter (Hunter Greene and Art Warren) did not pitch at least 9 – innings of no – hit baseball on their own.
“Sometimes you win games in weird ways and today we won one in a weird way. And if it’s a part of history, that’s fine because it’s still a win,” the Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton explained.
In a Major League Baseball season where mostly all that can go wrong has for the Cincinnati Reds, this incident surely has to be the cherry on top for the Cincinnati Reds as they have now dropped to a staggering record of 9 – 26 on the 2022 MLB season, which is the worst record in the major – leagues by far this year.
The rookie sensation pitcher Greene, who now carries an overall record of 1 and 6 as a starter throughout his debut season with a dismal MLB club, was pulled from the game following a couple of 1 – out walks to Rodolfo Castro as well as Michael Perez during the 8th – inning of the ball game last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 22 – year – old right – hander did manage to throw 118 – pitches during his no – hit bid the other day, and it was the most by any pitcher in Major League Baseball so far this season.
“He had no – hit stuff and it translated,” Shelton goes on to say.
Greene fired in 7 – heaters that clocked in on the radar gun at 100 miles per hour or higher, and he also did manage to mix his pitches well too with some sharp sliders and effective off – speed pitches (change – ups) as well. Hunter was totally aware of the possible no – hitter as he carefully navigated through this brilliant pitching performance on Sunday, May 15th, 2022.
“To be honest, like in the third or fourth. But that’s the last thing I wanted to think about [because] it is really hard to just stay locked in and not think about those things,” Greene relayed to the sports media world following this great pitching performance yet embarrassing loss for the Cincinnati Reds. “I had the scoreboard right in my face and I was trying not to make eye contact with it. Everybody was giving me my space and knew that I was locked in.”
Toward the end of his time on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds, Greene self – admittedly said that he was starting to run out of gas, which is to be completely expected out of any starting pitcher that has thrown over 110 pitches throughout a Major League Baseball game no matter if you are a rookie or a veteran big – league hurler.
“But then again, there’s the mental part of, you know, ‘I’m fine. I’m not tired,’“ says Hunter Greene.
The Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said, “Looking at it now, I think it would have to have gone really easy for him to go back out there for the ninth, but I think there was a chance he could have done it.”
The Break – Up of the Cincinnati Reds No – Hitter
Warren relieved Greene and wasted no time in walking Ben Gamel of the Pittsburgh Pirates in order to load up the bases for the home side from the Steel City.
Ke’Bryan Hayes followed up that walk with a grounder (with non – routine bounces) toward the Cincinnati Reds’ second baseman Alejo Lopez, who just so happened to bobble the baseball prior to throwing to his shortstop Matt Reynolds for 1 – out, but Reynolds’ throw back to first base was a fraction of a second late to get the fast and agile Hayes at first base for the potential double play, and this play ultimately resulted in the runner from third coming home to score the lonesome run of the ball game for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“Maybe in a perfect world that ball’s hit a little bit harder to make it a little bit easier for him,” the Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Art Warren expressed. “I tried to do the best I could and get a ground ball there. It’s just one of those things where it didn’t go our way.”
The Cincinnati Reds’ hitters went down in order during the top – of – the – 9th, and that was all folks from this sensational game at PNC Park, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The game ended abruptly with no celebration for the Cincinnati Reds who did not give up a hit throughout that entire game to the victorious Pittsburgh Pirates.
“I mean, to not even get a hit in a game and to get a win, I’m sure that hasn’t happened a lot since baseball’s been going on,” Ke’Bryan Hayes of the Pittsburgh Pirates said.
The other MLB No – Hitters so far this Year
There has only been 2 no – hitters throughout the entire MLB so far during this young and exciting 2022 Major League Baseball season. The first went to Los Angeles Angels rookie, Reid Detmers, who managed to pitch a fantastic no – hitter just last Tuesday, May 10th, 2022 versus the Tampa Bay Rays.
The other coming when 5 different New York Mets pitchers combined for the 2nd – no – hitter of the year in order to hold the Philadelphia Phillies hitless during that occasion last week.
On a separate note, several Tampa Bay Rays pitchers combined to hold the Boston Red Sox batters hitless into the 10th– inning during April of 2022, and the Tampa Bay Rays eventually wound up winning that game with a final score of 3 to 2, but that was also not scored an official no – hitter by the MLB either, due to the fact of the matter that the Tampa Bay Rays did not end up throwing a complete game without giving up a hit.
Hunter Greene’s Baseball Background
As the second overall selection during the 2017 MLB amateur draft, Greene, just so happened to suffer a significant injury in 2018 which demanded Tommy John surgery in 2019, and Greene did not return to minor league game action up until 2021 due to COVID – 19 pandemic in which all minor league games were cancelled that season. Hunter made the Cincinnati Reds’ major – league roster for the very 1st – time coming out of spring training this year.
The Up and Down 2022 MLB Debut Season for Hunter Greene
During his 2nd – start of the year this season (2022), Greene set an MLB record with 39 – pitches recorded at 100 – miles – per – hour or faster, but he also did carry an ERA of 7.62 into last Sunday’s contest thanks in part to his MLB – leading 11 – home runs allowed so far this season. Greene has also allowed an unacceptable 15 – walks throughout 26 – innings pitched up until that point so although his stuff has been quite impressive, he definitely has some things to work on as well.
“I’m not focused on wins or losses this year. That’s not my focus,” says Greene. “You’ve got to embrace all the thoughts and emotions in that moment and just go out there and have fun. Hopefully, I’m going to have a lot more opportunities for that.”
What a Fantastic Pitchers’ Duel in Pittsburgh last Sunday!
The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher last Sunday was no slouch either, as Jose Quintana shutout the Cincinnati Reds through his 7 – innings of big – league work last weekend, as he only gave up three hits while fanning 5 – batters from the Cincinnati Reds.
“Greene threw really well. That’s tough, tough for him. But we kept pushing,” the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jose Quintana confirmed. “I’ve never seen that before but it’s great to get the win.”
The Pittsburgh Pirates Close Out Pitching last Sunday, May 15th, 2022
Chris Stratton of the Pittsburgh Pirates managed to pitch around a 2 – on, 1 – out intense situation in the top – of – the – 8th – inning while David Bednar worked his way through a very clean 9th – inning for the Pittsburgh Pirates last Sunday for his 7th – save on the year at that point.