There are losses. It is like when you are out for a walk on a beautiful sunny day and you see a cute little puppy wagging its tail 100 mph and then you go up to say hello, that is the kind of loss the Reds suffered on Sunday. Just a few seconds before, you felt joy, but now you feel empty.
The Reds fans felt that way in the bottom of the eighth.
This is a game that is not the right word to describe it. Hunter Greene, the much-hyped prospect with the blazing fastball, entered his start with a 7.62 earned run average. The 22-year-old was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 He was throwing the game of his life against the Pirates. He had thrown seven no-hits and had two strikeouts in the seventh to take his total to nine. He had thrown more than 100 pitches. The odds of him throwing a no-hitter were not very high. The most pitches any starter had thrown was 116. Only three others had reached the century mark. There were six outs to go.
The Reds had failed to score, so it was a blank game.
The safe move is to take the kid out. He needs a boost of confidence after a strong performance, so let him finish on a positive note.
David Bell sent Greene out in the eighth.
He pitched his way into a chance to go nine frames, get a win and a no-hitter. Bell said after the game that it was in his book.
There are two ways to look at a decision.
Bell allowed his pitcher to pitch. 103 pitches is nothing in the scope of baseball history. The Reds would have had to score in the top of the ninth to have a chance at a no-hitter. There are probably no issues with an extra day of rest before his next start.
This is something no other manager would have done. This is how the game is managed these days. In the past 10 seasons, only two pitchers under the age of 22 have thrown more than 118 pitches.
If you like, there is room to defend Bell, but it is questionable. The first out was on two pitches. Rodolfo Castro was walked on a 3-2 pitch. He walked Michael Perez. Finally, the hook.
I think it would have been easy for him to go back out there for the ninth, but I think there was a chance he could have done it.
How likely was that? Bell should have estimated at least another 28 pitches, which would have taken Greene to 131, because he had averaged 14.7% pitches per frame through his first seven frames. The last pitcher under the age of 22 to throw 130 pitches in a game was Matt Cain. Bell was prepared to let Greene throw 130 pitches.
The puppy growl came after he left the field. Ben Gamel was walked on four straight pitches by Art Warren. The Reds had a double-play ball to second base, but second baseman Alejo Lopez double-clutched on his throw to first, allowing the run to score. The Reds went down in order in the ninth and the Pirates won without a hit, becoming the sixth team since 1901 to win without a hit.
The Reds became the sixth team to lose without allowing a hit. We are less than two months into the season, but is it possible for there to be a more depressing moment for a team that is now 9-26?
It is not an official no-hitter, as no-hitters must go at least nine frames, and the Pirates didn't bat in the bottom of the ninth. They should not.
It would have been great to have a different result, but it is what it is.
Let's compare the Reds to the other five instances of this occurrence.
The Dodgers defeated the Angels on June 28, 2008.
Matt Kemp stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by Jered Weaver in the fifth. He scored on a sacrifice fly. Weaver was taken out for a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh. Reggie Willits struck out to end the game as the Angels had two runners on in the ninth.
Out of five, two were broken hearts. It was against the Angels in front of a large crowd at Dodger Stadium, but the run came early. The Angels went on to win 100 games because they were in first place.
The Indians defeated the Red Sox 2 to 1.
The topic of shaping the season is something we dig into.
Everything you need to know.
Matt Young, a lefty who made the All-Star Game as a member of the SeattleMariners in 1983, is remembered by older readers. Young had control issues and developed a fear of throwing to first base. In this game, Young pitched all the way and Cleveland scored without a hit in two separate frames. Kenny Lofton stole second and scored on a Luis Rivera throwing error. A run was scored on two fielder's choices after Young walked the first two batters. Young was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217
There are two broken hearts. This was the fourth game of the season and it would be a sign of things to come in Boston. For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox finished in last place. Young went 0-4 in 27 games that season with a 4.58 ERA. He only won one more major league game.
July 1, 1990: White Sox 4, Yankees 0.
This is the most famous of the games, in which Andy Hawkins threw eight no-hitters and allowed four runs. The damage came in the bottom of the eighth, with two outs and nobody on. Sammy Sosa was flying down the line when third baseman Mike Blowers fumbled a grounder. It could have been ruled a hit earlier in the game.
Things got silly after that. Sosa stole second, then Guillen and Johnson walked to load the bases. On a windy day at Comiskey Park, Robin Ventura flew out to left field and Jim Leyritz dropped it for an error. Three runners scored. Ivan Calderon lifted a fly ball to right field, which Jesse Barfield dropped for another error, allowing Ventura to score. Indeed.
At the time, the game was considered an official no-hitter because he threw a complete game. I never imagined a no-hitter like this.
There are five broken hearts.
The Orioles and the Tigers played on April 30, 1967.
The Detroit runs came in the top of the ninth. Steve Barber, a hard-throwing but wild left-handed pitcher, was the Baltimore starter and he had walked seven batters entering the ninth, so it wasn't a gem. He walked the first two batters of the ninth, then Willie Horton popped out to the catcher, leaving Barber one out away. He threw a wild pitch that allowed the tying run to score and then issued his 10th walk of the game. Orioles second baseman Mark Belanger dropped the throw, allowing the second run to score, as the Orioles brought in relief pitcher Stu Miller.
There are three broken hearts. The control problems of Barber did most of the damage.
The Reds defeated the Colt.45s on April 23, 1964.
The Yankees and Mets have hot starts, so we give out our April grades.
Handing out A's and F's.
Houston's Ken Johnson and Cincinnati's Joe Nuxhall were locked up in a pitchers' game. Nuxhall grounded out in the top of the ninth. Pete Rose reached second base when Johnson threw away his base hit. Rose was able to score after Vada Pinson grounded to second base. Johnson lost the game when Nuxhall finished off his no-hitter.
There are five broken hearts. Johnson is the only pitcher since 1900 to get credit for an official no-hitter and lose the game.
This year, it is easy to say that this could have been a rare moment of joy. It is five broken hearts. Maybe a no-hitter that actually counts will be one of the happier memories that Hunter will have. Bark in the Park at the Great American Ball Park is for the Reds. The stadium should be full of happy dogs.
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