Hunter Greene Flirts with No-Hitter Before Cubs Break Through
For more than six innings on Thursday night in Cincinnati, fans at Great American Ball Park were on the edge of their seats, watching something special unfold. Reds starter Hunter Greene was nearly untouchable against the Chicago Cubs, holding them hitless well into the seventh inning. The possibility of a no-hitter was alive and growing louder with every pitch, as Greene carved through the Cubs’ lineup with poise and electric stuff.
The drama built as Greene retired the first 12 batters he faced, setting the tone early. A small crack appeared in the fifth inning when Cubs rookie Moises Ballesteros reached base after a fielding error by Elly De La Cruz, but that didn’t count against Greene’s line. He quickly regained control, continuing to mow down hitters. The only other blemish before the seventh was a single walk issued in the sixth, the lone free pass of the night from Greene.
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Then, with two outs in the seventh inning, the moment that broke the spell arrived. Ballesteros stepped in again and ripped a sharp double down the line, spoiling Greene’s bid for history. The crowd, which had been buzzing with the anticipation of witnessing the first Reds no-hitter since Wade Miley accomplished the feat back in May of 2021, let out a collective sigh. Still, it was clear this performance was one to remember.
By that point, Greene had thrown 82 pitches, tallying seven strikeouts and keeping the Reds clinging to a narrow 1–0 lead. Even after the hit, he quickly settled down, retiring the next batter to finish the inning strong. The Reds held their advantage heading into the eighth inning, and the energy in the ballpark remained high, fueled both by Greene’s brilliance and the stakes at hand.
This wasn’t just about chasing history. For Cincinnati, every game carries weight in a heated playoff race. The Reds entered the night trailing the New York Mets by just two and a half games in the National League’s wild card standings, and with fewer than 10 games left in the regular season, every win is critical. Greene’s gem, even without the no-hitter, was exactly the kind of effort Cincinnati needed to keep its postseason hopes alive.
On the Cubs’ side, the night was a reminder of baseball’s unpredictability. Fresh off clinching their first postseason berth since 2020 with a win in Pittsburgh, Chicago had been celebrating only a day earlier. Now, they found themselves nearly etched into history as victims of a no-hitter. To put it in perspective, the Cubs have only been held hitless seven times in their entire history, with the last instance coming in 2015 at the hands of Cole Hamels. That record remained intact, but barely.
In the end, Hunter Greene didn’t quite finish the no-hitter, but he gave Cincinnati fans a game they won’t soon forget. It was the kind of performance that shows why Greene is seen as the face of the Reds’ rotation — overpowering stuff, calm under pressure, and capable of turning a late September night into something unforgettable.
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