LOS ANGELES – On a cool night in Southern California, Cincinnati Reds rookie Hunter Green brought record warmth.
After five strong innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally caught up.
Trea Turner started Homer with two runs to eliminate a draw in the sixth, and the Dodgers beat the Reds 5-2 on Saturday night for their fifth straight win.
On his long-awaited return home, Green has thrown an astonishing 39 strokes at 100 mph or faster – most in a single game since tracking began in 2008. The previous score was 33 from New York Mets aces Jacob de Grom last June.
Starting in his second major league, the 22-year-old right-hander, who went to high school in nearby Sherman Oaks, also fired 13 shots at least 101 mph – another record for beginners.
The moment finally hit Green in the third inning, but only emotionally. He said he cried on the bench against the backdrop of the huge case and choked after coming down from the mound in the sixth.
“I’d like to come out victorious, but it was a really, really fun time,” Green said. “It was an incredible feeling and experience to oppose this lineup. Freddy [Freeman] gave me a little love, something like the top of a hat, so it was great. I was happy to be able to do this here and have a family here. “
But with Green’s speed a little later as he came out, it was a quick 99 mph ball to Turner that landed on the left.
“We still had to be ready for 99 with a pretty good slider and a decent change,” Turner said. “He’s tough, no matter how hard he throws, whether it’s 99 or 101, but I think we did a good job in battle.”
Turner finished with three hits, including a single on the spot in the first. The quick short stop is a hit in all eight games this season and in 27 consecutive, returning from last year. This is the third longest series of strikes in the history of the team in Los Angeles.
Dodgers starter Julio Urias, whose speed dropped in the spring and on his first outing of the season, managed to overtake Green by giving up one shot for five innings of exclusion.
The Reds didn’t get their first shot until Tyler Stevenson beat second baseman Max Munsey in the fifth. Inning later, the Dodgers finally broke through.
Austin Barnes brought the sixth against Green with a single. Turner followed a quick 1-1 midfield in the left field for his first home run of the season.
Freeman followed with an out, but reached first base after Stevenson’s pass. Justin Turner stepped out and Reds manager David Bell replaced Green with right-handed Buck Farmer.
The Dodgers added two more runs, one to Green when Chris Taylor hit a two-run single with two outs.
“He wasn’t really going to give us anything, so we had to win him over,” Turner said. “He pushed us through the first 5 1/2 innings and we finally got to him. But he’s really good and I’m glad we came out victorious.”
Green (1-1) gave up three runs (two wins) with five hits in 5⅓ innings, no walks and six outs. He scored 80 points.
The Reds lost their fifth game in a row – their last victory came last Sunday, when Green made his debut in the Atlanta Grand League.
At first, Green said he cried on the bench in the third inning.
“I didn’t cry, it was just a bad choice of words,” he said with a laugh. “I just cried a little.
“I was sitting on the bench and it just hit me randomly. I think I looked up and could hear the roar and the feeling of it … The atmosphere up here is completely different. And being here at Dodger Stadium as a kid, I think all those factors were playing out at the time. “
The big stage didn’t shake him on the field. Even Turner’s home run came on the field at the edge of the plate.
“It usually takes a little longer to find it [composure] for a young player, “said Bell.” He will have his moments, but the experience he has has accelerated that development. “
Freeman added a sacrificial fly in the seventh to make it 5-0.
Urias passed one and hit five. He was in the 92 mph range with his fast ball after sitting at 91 in his debut of the season. It is still lower than its average speed of 94 mph in the season with 20 wins in 2021.
The Reds finished ninth with RBI groundout by Taylor Nakwin and an RBI single by Tommy Pham of Mitch White.
Daniel Hudson received two outs for his first save this season.
Evan Phillips (1-1) won the victory with zero sixth inning.
CONTAINERS
The Reds sent right-handed Riley O’Brien to Seattle to name a player or cash. O’Brien was appointed on Wednesday to fill a list of 40 left-wingers Nick Lodolo.
COACH ROOM
Reds: INF / OF Nick Senzel was put on the list of wounded by COVID-19 on Friday, although Bell said Senzel did not give a positive test. Senzel started to feel bad before Friday’s game. RHP Daniel Duarte was pulled from Triple-A Louisville. … While Jonathan India’s 2B hamstring tension continues to improve, the Reds will wait until Sunday to decide if a move to IL is needed.
Dodgers: RHP’s Tommy Canle, who has only one relegation from the 2019 Premier League after undergoing Tommy John’s surgery, made his third consecutive rehabilitation without a result in Class A Ranch Kukamonga on Friday.
NEXT
Reds: RHP Tyler Male (1-0, 1.00 ERA) makes his third start of the season in the series final on Sunday. He is 2-1 in four starts against the Dodgers with a 2.05 ERA.
Dodgers: LHP Andrew Heaney (0-0, 0.00) will play at home with his new team for the first time after throwing 4⅓ zero innings in Minnesota on Tuesday.
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