Reds Ace Hunter Greene Struggles in Postseason Debut, Rocked by Dodgers in Hometown

Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene, a 26-year-old former All-Star, made his first postseason start in his hometown of Los Angeles on October 1, 2025, a childhood dream that ended without a "Hollywood ending." Greene, who prepped at Notre Dame High School, lasted only three innings against the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. He surrendered a leadoff homer to Shohei Ohtani (117.7 mph off a 100.4 mph fastball), walked two, struck out four, and was tagged for six hits and five runs, all on three home runs. Greene attributed his struggles to poor slider execution, stating, "that’s where I got hurt the most tonight." In the third inning, walks to Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy preceded back-to-back homers by Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman, extending the Dodgers' lead to 5-0 before manager Terry Francona pulled him. Despite the tough outing, Greene, who had a 7-4 record with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts this season, expressed frustration but maintained confidence for future opportunities.