Hunter Greene returned from a two-month injury stint and tossed six shutout innings while Miguel Andujar stayed red-hot with a grand slam to lead the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-0 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night.
Greene, out since June 3 with a right groin strain, was dominant over the course of his 85-pitch effort, striking out six and walking none.
The right-hander, projected as the ace of the staff at the start of the season, retired the first seven batters he faced before Bryson Stott singled with one out in the third. After a Trea Turner two-out single moved Stott to second, Greene fanned Kyle Schwarber looking to end the threat.
The Reds put the game away with a four-run seventh on Andujar’s third homer in four games, a third career grand slam to the seats in left off reliever Jordan Romano.
The Reds captured the rubber game and won for the fourth time in five games. They welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to town on Friday after their first day off on Thursday since July 24.
Cristopher Sanchez (11-4) allowed four runs – three earned – matching a season-high for a third time this yeafr. The left-hander lost for just the second time in 11 starts since June 8.
The Reds scored once in the fourth on a Noelvi Marte double, scoring Austin Hays. In the sixth, Hays and Marte were at the heart of another two-out rally later when Hays doubled home Elly De La Cruz and then Marte singled home Hays.
Marte’s single turned into a so-called Little League home run when Brandon Marsh threw wildly home to try and throw out Hays. Sanchez threw wildly back to third in an attempt to retire Marte, who came home.
All eight of the Reds’ runs came with two outs.
In losing two of three in Cincinnati, the Phillies had trouble getting the offense on track, scoring just five runs in the series and failing to put a runner on base in the first two innings of all three games.
-Field Level Media
