Hunter Greene delivered one of his best outings of the season with 12 strikeouts, and Noelvi Marte supplied key run production as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Los Angeles Angels 6-4 on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. The win, which came as slight underdogs with closing odds around +105 against the Angels at -125, gave Cincinnati momentum in the second game of the three-game set.
Greene (8-5) struck out a season-high 12 batters over 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits without issuing a walk. His performance marked the first time since Johnny Cueto in 2014 that a Reds pitcher recorded at least 12 strikeouts in a game without surrendering a walk. Greene leaned on his fastball, frequently reaching triple digits, mixing in a sharp slider to keep Angels hitters off balance.
The Reds secured the decisive runs in the ninth inning. With the score tied 4-4, Jose Trevino singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by TJ Friedl. Gavin Lux followed with an RBI double off Angels closer Kenley Jansen, who entered the night 5-2 but was tagged with the loss. That late rally broke open a tightly contested matchup that had seen momentum swing repeatedly.
Marte extended his hitting streak to 10 games while driving in two runs with a double and a solo homer. His fourth-inning double brought home Miguel Andujar after Andujar’s run-scoring hit gave Cincinnati the lead. Marte later connected for a solo home run, further building on a performance that has recently boosted the Reds’ offense.
Andujar played a central role in the Reds’ attack, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. He provided Cincinnati’s first RBI single in the fourth and later scored on Marte’s double. Elly De Los Angeles Cruz also contributed by drawing a fifth-inning walk before scoring from first on another Andujar single, showcasing his speed.
For Los Angeles, Jo Adell supplied two solo home runs, one in the seventh and another in the eighth, keeping the Angels within striking distance. Mike Trout doubled in the opening frame and came home on Taylor Ward’s RBI single off a 100-mph Greene fastball, giving the Angels an early 1-0 lead.
Despite Greene’s strong outing, the Reds’ bullpen was tested late. Luis Mey (2-0) entered in the eighth and gave up Adell’s second homer but ultimately picked up the win. Cincinnati then turned to closer Scott Barlow in the ninth, who shut the door after his teammates reclaimed the lead.
Kyle Hendricks started for Los Angeles and gave up three runs in the fourth inning on four consecutive sinkers that Cincinnati hitters turned into hard contact. He finished with five innings of work, allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out four.
The Reds improved to 67-60, staying close in the National League wild-card race, while the Angels fell to 60-66, continuing their struggles against interleague opponents.
The series concludes Wednesday night with Cincinnati sending Nick Martinez (10-9, 4.73 ERA) to the mound against Los Angeles left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-8, 3.52 ERA). Sportsbooks have set the Angels as narrow -115 favorites, with the Reds at -105 in what projects as another close contest.
