Hunter Greene's Season Debut Spoiled, Reds Drop Game Two vs. Orioles 8-5

A triumphant debut wasn't in the cards for Greene on Saturday.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning of the MLB National League Wild Card Game 1 between the Cincinnati Reds and LA Dodgers, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds came into Saturday's matchup with the Baltimore Orioles with more confidence than most teams have with a losing record. There was a good reason for that confidence: Hunter Greene was returning to the mound.

Unfortunately, just like the rest of this season, Greene's return to Cincinnati quickly spiraled into a nightmare. The Orioles shelled Greene early and took home game two of the series 8-5, and earned the series victory.

The Reds couldn't deliver a victory for the home crowd on Independence Day. Let's get through the recap of this game as quickly as we can.

Shaky Start

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene (21) talks with special assistant to the general manager, Eric Davis, at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Greene's first start of the season brought an electricity to Great American Ball Park that has been desperately needed. Unfortunately, the performance would not live up to what the fans in attendance were hoping for.

While there were glimpses of the old Greene on Saturday night, that final stat line is going to be one that eats at him until the next time he takes the mound. Greene's night finished after 3.1 innings of work. The Reds flamethrower allowed eight runs and four walks while tossing seven strikeouts on 89 pitches.

Walks once again played a role in a Reds starter having a rough outing. Not the ideal return to Cincinnati for Greene, but it's not even close to time to panic about his future.

Avoiding The Brooms

Jun 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo(40) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Reds dropped to 40-48 on the season after Saturday's loss. It's gotten to the point that even pretending that this team is a postseason threat has become an absolute farce. It's time for everyone to get into full sell mode. That means to be prepared to lose a player or two that you go to bat for every night.

For the second straight series, the Reds will look to avoid the sweep. Sunday will see Nick Lodolo on the mound for the Reds, as he will go up against Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish.

The hype around Greene's return to the team was something needed for this entire fan base. Now that we all know how that turned out, finding something positive around this team going into Sunday's series finale is going to be hard to do.

It's going to be interesting to see how this team answers the bell on Sunday after such a potentially big moment not playing out in their favor on Saturday. But hasn't that been the story all season?

Time to avoid the brooms.