LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trea Turner launched a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers finally caught up to some record-setting heat from Cincinnati rookie Hunter Greene, beating the skidding Reds 5-2 on Saturday night for their fifth consecutive victory.
In his highly anticipated homecoming, Greene threw an astounding 39 pitches 100 mph or faster — most in a single game since pitch tracking began in 2008.
Making his second major league start on a cool Southern California evening, the 22-year-old right-hander, who went to high school in nearby Sherman Oaks, also fired 13 pitches at least 101 mph — another record.
But with his velocity dipping slightly later in his outing, it was a 99 mph fastball to Turner that ended up in the left-field seats to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning.
Turner finished with three hits, including an infield single off Greene in the first. The speedy shortstop has a hit in all eight games this season, and in 27 straight going back to last year. It is the third-longest hitting streak in the team’s Los Angeles history.
Dodgers starter Julio Urías, his velocity down during the spring and through his first outing of the season, managed to outpitch Greene by giving up one hit over five shutout innings.
The Reds didn’t get their first hit until Tyler Stephenson ripped a single past Dodgers second baseman Max Muncy in the fifth. An inning later, the Dodgers finally broke through.
Austin Barnes led off the sixth against Greene with a single. Turner followed by hitting a 1-1 fastball halfway up the bleachers in left field for his first home run of the season.
Freddie Freeman followed with a strikeout but reached first base on Stephenson's passed ball. Justin Turner popped out and Reds manager David Bell replaced Greene with right-hander Buck Farmer.
The Dodgers added two more runs, one charged to Greene, when Chris Taylor hit a two-run single with two outs.
