The last time Blake Snell faced the Reds, he tossed a no-hitter for the Giants at Great American Ball Park on Aug. 2, 2024.

Hunter Greene gets the start on Wednesday against the best pitcher in baseball in a pivotal game for the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Hunter Greene had thrown 93 pitches and given up just one hit through eight innings Thursday night. He wanted the ball in the ninth and manager Terry Francona wasn’t going to deny him this time.

The Reds had a chance to start their ace Hunter Greene in the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, but they opted to give every starter an extra day of rest and keep everyone on schedule. Instead, Brady Singer, who has been fantastic lately, got the ball on Tuesday. He struggled, giving up four runs in a 4-2 loss.

The last fastball Greene threw, his 107th pitch of the night, registered at 101.5 mph, according to Statcast. A splitter and a slider later, he struck out Ian Happ looking to complete the second shutout of his career and his first of nine innings.

In four career starts against the Reds, the Pirates' Paul Skenes has posted a 0.39 ERA with two walks and 33 strikeouts.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds are postseason bound and will head to Los Angeles with their ace on the mound for Game 1 Tuesday night.