Reds 9, Cubs 0: Cincinnati combined no-hit bid broken up in eighth

Combined no-hitters are hard to complete. That’s why there have been just 19 in MLB history, including the one the Cubs threw against the Dodgers two years ago.

For a while, though, it looked like the Cincinnati Reds might do just that against the Cubs on a sun-kissed Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. They didn’t, but wound up winning 9-0.

Hunter Greene was nearly unhittable for six innings, striking out 11 and making Cubs hitters look silly.

Meanwhile, Justin Steele was... well, if you can figure it out let David Ross and the coaching staff know, because that didn’t look like the Steele we have seen all year. This was his shortest and worst outing of the season, allowing 10 (!) hits without finishing the fourth inning, and even the outs were hit hard.

I will spare you the carnage and simply show you this pitch diagram for Steele [VIDEO].

Looks like he really didn’t have command of any of his pitches. Steele didn’t walk anyone, even with as many pitches as you see out of the zone in that diagram, but as noted, everything Reds batters got around on got hit hard.

It’s the kind of outing that you just try to brush off and do better next time.

Greene threw 110 pitches in six innings. Just 15 other pitchers have thrown that many this year. Eduardo Salazar relieved him in the seventh and got three straight groundouts.

Then Christopher Morel led off the eighth and ended Reds dreams on the first pitch [VIDEO].

And so, the streak continues:

Miles Mastrobuoni also singled in the eighth inning. I’ll just leave this here without comment: The only two Cubs who had hits today both spent significant time in Triple-A this year.

Honestly, I don’t have much more to say about this game, so perhaps you’d like to hear from David Ross [VIDEO].

No, seriously. That’s it from me. There’s another game tomorrow.

The Cubs will try to even up this series Saturday evening at Wrigley Field. Jameson Taillon will try once again to get back on track as he takes the mound for the Cubs. Rookie lefthander Brandon Williamson will go for Cincinnati. Game time Saturday is 6:15 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Fox-TV (regional — coverage map).

(Psst — if you’re looking for more, no, that really is all I’ve got. See you tomorrow.)