Hunter Greene Stars as Reds Sweep Cubs 4-0

Cincinnati rocked Chicago with a 4‑0 victory at home, thanks to a masterful outing from right‑hander Hunter Greene. The 26‑year‑old hurled seven innings, striking out 12 batters while giving up just three hits. It was Greene’s first win of the season after a difficult return debut against Baltimore, where he had allowed eight earned runs in 3 ⅓ frames.

Greene dominated the dish, firing 93 pitches and landing 68 strikes; 19 of those were first‑pitch strikes to the 25 batters he faced. He limited the Cubs to only four baserunners, with just two reaching second base. The right‑hander’s control and velocity turned the effort into one of the best of his five‑year MLB career.

The flush of strikeouts sealed the game in the late innings. With two on and one out in the seventh, Nico Hoerner grounded out to center and Michael Conforto struck out, preserving Greene’s shutout. Emilio Pagán closed out the win, earning his eighth save in 11 chances.

Offensive fireworks came from Elly De La Cruz, who opened the fifth with a leadoff home run off Shota Imanaga (5‑8). De La Cruz later added a triple to right‑field, then scored on Sal Stewart’s sacrifice fly to push the lead to 2‑0. Spencer Steer sharpened the attack with three hits, an infield single, and a crucial base‑hit that set up JJ Bleday’s game‑breaking home run to center.

The Cubs generated a season‑high 15 strikeouts against Cincinnati’s staff, yet could not convert those whiffs into runs. Their 0‑for‑15 effort left them stranded multiple times throughout the contest. The loss drops Chicago further from the postseason mix as the Reds solidify their playoff positioning.

Up Next: Cubs at Reds

Chicago will send right‑hander Javier Assad (6‑1, 4.15 ERA) to the mound, looking to bounce back from the shutdown effort. Cincinnati counters with left‑hander Nick Lodolo (3‑2, 4.68 ERA), who has been solid in his starts this month. Fans can expect another tightly contested matchup when the teams meet again later in the week.