Cincinnati Reds RHP Hunter Greene struck out 12 in seven dominant innings to beat the New York Mets on Sunday.
- The mood in the Reds clubhouse was light after back-to-back victories over the big-money New York Mets.
- The Reds head out west for a nine-game road trip, beginning Sept. 8 at San Diego for three games against the Padres.
Hunter Green joked about being a “man of the people” by gifting fans free pizza with his 12 strikeouts against the New York Mets Sept. 7.
A few minutes later, reliever Brent Suter, a Moeller High School product, proclaimed “don’t let the Cincinnati Bengals win in Week 1″ after the Bengals put the finishing touches on a 17-16 victory in Cleveland Sept. 7.
What a difference a few days can make.
A dejected clubhouse that resembled a morgue Sept. 5 after a crushing 5-4 loss to New York suddenly found a slice of optimism after back-to-back wins over the Mets for their first series victory since mid-August (Angels).
Cincinnati (72-71) gained a game on the Mets over the weekend and currently sit four games behind New York with 19 to play.
“It’s kind of been the story all year−find ourselves in a tough spot and find a way. Find a way to fight out of it and get right back to where we have a chance,” said Austin Hays, who knocked in a pair of runs in the 3-2 win Sept. 7. “We had a really bad two weeks. We’ve been playing a lot better baseball since then. Everybody’s picking each other up, passing the baton, doing whatever it takes to win.
“We’re gonna have a happy flight on our way out to the west coast and do some good things out there.”
A happy flight after a losing homestand (3-6) in September is rare, but the Reds will hang their hat on resiliency with three games coming up at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres (77-65, pending their Sept. 7 game), who currently occupy the second National League wild card.
Manager Terry Francona returned to the Reds’ dugout Sept. 7 after missing a game due to an illness that has wreaked havoc on the Reds’ clubhouse recently almost as much as the slide in the standings.
“They’re not asking for anybody to feel sorry for them. They really care. They’re a really good group of guys,” Francona said. “Sometimes, the game doesn’t end the way we want it. We’ve been through a really tough stretch. We’re still alive. Until they make you go home, they keep playing.”
The give-me-the-ball mentality from pitchers like Greene could help the Reds push this race to the wire over the final three weeks. A Cincinnati bullpen that was taxed after covering 54 outs in a three-game span got some much-needed rest as Brady Singer and Greene combined for 13 innings of five-hit, two-run ball with 17 strikeouts for the series win.
“My expectation is to do what I did today,” Greene said. “We’ve always had that belief in ourselves. We just gotta go do it. Sitting here and talking about it doesn’t give me any excitement. I just want to go do it.”