CINCINNATI — Fresh from an off day to savor a feel-good Opening Day, the Cincinnati Reds look to make it two in a row when they host the Washington Nationals Saturday afternoon.
In Thursday’s season opener before a sell-out crowd of 44,030, the Reds got a power boost from Nick Martini, making his first Opening Day start at the age of 33, and six shutout innings from their starter Frankie Montas in an 8-2 win over the Nationals.
With Matt McLain and TJ Friedl on the injured list and Noelvi Marte suspended, Martini stepped up and cracked a two-run homer in the second and a three-run shot an inning later to highlight the big day for the Cincinnati offense.
Martini spent 2022 playing professionally in Korea before returning in 2023, hitting six homers in just 29 games for the Reds in the final five weeks of the season.
“Obviously, we’re extremely happy for Nick but at the same time, we’ve known this guy can hit,” Reds manager David Bell said. “So for it all to come out Opening Day, his first one, which is surprising or shocking if you think about it because this guy’s been a good player for a long time. He’s always been able to hit.”
Montas threw six shutout innings and recorded his first win since 2022 while Cincinnati native Brent Suter tossed two perfect innings, closing out the win in his hometown.
The Reds prevailed in their home opener for the first time since 2020 and turn to right-hander Hunter Greene in the second game of the season. Greene was 4-7 with a 4.82 ERA in 2023, striking out 152 batters in 112 innings before a hip injury sidelined him for all July and three weeks of August.
The 24-year-old Greene is facing the Nationals for the first time in his career.
Greene, who is 9-20 lifetime with a 4.62 ERA in 46 career starts, is looking to breakthrough in 2024.
Despite heading into the offseason as the assumed ace of a talented and rising Cincinnati rotation, Greene did not receive the Opening Day nod, surprising some on the outside.
“(Staff ace) is a tough label to put on somebody at such a young age,” Greene told me. “I embrace it. I’ve always wanted to have that extra pressure, that position or title. Those guys that have thrown a lot of innings and have gone complete seasons and won Cy Youngs and been All-Stars, I totally see myself in that light.”
Numbers in spring training are often deceiving. Greene was 1-2 with a 7.20 ERA in five starts, allowing 14 hits and 12 runs – all earned – in 15 innings. He struck out 19 while walking 10. The stat sheet says he struggled but physically he felt strong.
Ask any pitcher about spring training and that’s what they’ll point to first and foremost. If Greene can make 30-35 starts in 2024 and go north of 220 innings, that will be the most important analytic to Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson, manager David Bell and the organization.
“I think everyone kind of has their own goals and and things that we want to accomplish ourselves, whether it’s small goals or big goals, team goals or goals for ourselves,” Greene said. “So for sure, I obviously think health is for sure No. 1 for a lot of guys.”
But when it comes to specifics, everything comes down to eventually helping the Reds get to and do damage in the postseason.
“Going into my third year and other than winning and winning as a team, that’s something that I’ve wanted to fulfill for a long time. I remember doing an interview and saying that like I haven’t won anything since high school, so I’ve been missing that feeling for a long time and we have such a great opportunity to do that here.
“I know everybody sees that and then feels it. Most importantly, that’s No. 1 for me, being able to celebrate with the team and it’s great celebrating wins throughout the season but being able to do it going into postseason will mean so much more.
“I have my own personal goals of the amount of innings I throw and the fun accolades of All-Stars and Cy Youngs in the future and all that stuff. If I didn’t strive for for greatness, it’d be foolish not to. I’ve put so much time and work and effort and sacrifice so much, to be able to just experience that and have those great things that this sport can provide. Those are some of the things that I’m looking forward to and want to accomplish.”
Much has been made of Greene’s work to develop and command a curveball and split-finger fastball to go with his triple-digit heat, hard slider and changeup. Starting Saturday, we’ll get an indication of just how much he trusts them to complement his arsenal.
The Nationals counter with lefty Patrick Corbin, entering his sixth season with the Nationals. He is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his last three starts in Cincinnati.
Last Aug. 3, he allowed three runs on four hits and two home runs over 6 1/3 innings and received a no decision as the Nationals rallied for a 6-3 win in 10 innings at Cincinnati.
Offensively, Washington cleanup hitter Joey Meneses will look to build off Opening Day, when he went 2-for-4 while Eddie Rosario provided the only run production with his two-run homer in the seventh.
“Opening day is always weird, a lot of adrenaline,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We uncharacteristically chased a lot of pitches. We didn’t do that in spring (training). We’ve got to get the ball in the zone. If we get the ball in the (strike) zone, we hit the ball hard.
“Joey had a good day swinging the bat. On the whole, we’ve got to get the ball in the zone and be ready to hit.”
