Hunter Greene’s record speed thrills but Julio Urías outduels him in Dodgers victory

It’s likely no one has compared Julio Urías to a tortoise. Because he hails from Culiacan, Mexico, his nickname is “Culichi,” not “Tortuga.”

But reach high atop that dusty bookshelf and grab “The Tortoise and the Hare” from Aesop’s Fables. Cast Cincinnati Reds triple-digit wonder Hunter Greene as the speedy hare. Urías and his slow-pokey pitches topping out at 93 mph are you-know-who.

We know who won that race.

This one followed a similar script. The Dodgers allowed only two hits while getting to Greene in the sixth inning to cruise to a 5-2 win Saturday night in front of 50,039 at Dodger Stadium.

Greene, a former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High star making his second major league start in front of family, friends and fellow alums from the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, reached or exceeded 100 mph more often than any other pitcher in major league history.

In fact, he obliterated the previous record of 33 100-plus mph pitches set by the New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom last June. Greene caught and passed deGrom as rapidly as his offerings reached the catcher’s mitt, hitting triple-digits 11 times in the fifth inning alone to give him 38 in the game.

“We faced a tough customer in Hunter Greene,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We had to scratch and claw. It’s a special arm.”

Once his four-seam fastball dipped under 100, however, the Dodgers drilled it. Austin Barnes stroked a single to right on a 98.7 mph pitch to lead off the sixth and Trea Turner — batting leadoff because Mookie Betts had the evening off — followed with a home run on a 98.9 mph pitch for a 2-0 lead. Turner also singled, extending his hitting streak to 27 games.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene delivers during the first inning Saturday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Greene was lifted with one out in the sixth, having thrown 80 pitches, 50 for strikes. The average speed of his 57 fastballs was 100.2 mph. Buck Farmer replaced him and a two-out, two-run single by Chris Taylor doubled the Dodgers lead to 4-0.

Urías matched Greene pitch for pitch — albeit at a comparative crawl — through five innings. Not until Tyler Stephenson drilled a one-hop shot through second baseman Max Muncy with one out in the fifth did Urías allow a hit. The second Reds hit was another harmless single by Stephenson in the eighth.

Six days after getting shelled by the Colorado Rockies with alarmingly diminished velocity, the Dodgers left-hander mowed through the Reds’ lineup. He sat at 92-93 mph, a tick lower than his 94 mph average last season when he went 20-3, but better than the 91-mph fastballs the Rockies saw.

Roberts lifted him after only 65 pitches. The Dodgers added a run in the seventh and the Reds scored both of theirs in the ninth.

“I felt like myself,” Urías said. “It felt strange last week in Colorado. But I made adjustments, worked on mechanics and it felt good.”

Greene might have been outdueled by the crafty Urías, but his immense talent is obvious and he has ambitious aspirations outside the chalk lines. To introduce Black youngsters to the allure of the national pastime. To grow the game to new demographics in new markets across the globe. To establish his own legacy as an ambassador for the game in disadvantaged communities.

Those dreams began 15 years ago when he joined the Urban Youth Academy and he repeats them now as a 22-year-old Reds rookie, not shy about stressing the significance of pitching at Dodger Stadium 24 hours after Jackie Robinson Day.

“To be here as a Black player and as a young man to represent him and what he stood for is super important,” he said, pausing to gather himself as tears welled in his eyes. “To shed that light on our community as well, and let these kids know they can do it, and do it with grace, and always be poised, and to represent.

“It’s not just about yourself, it’s about your family and the next generation that follows.”

Greene’s impact will be predicated on him pitching well. Should he become just another overhyped phenom who flames out prematurely, those noble dreams will die along with his career. Saturday’s performance was an encouraging step.

At least one player in the Dodgers dugout pulled for Greene. Price, a Black pitcher who was the first overall pick in 2007, sees a younger version of himself in Greene, who was the second overall pick in 2017.

“I see how hard he works,” Price said before the game. “I know he was raised well. I can see that. I’m for him. Hopefully we score three unearned runs, he goes six innings, then we pour it on after that.”

Turned out two runs were unearned and there was no need to pour it on. Greene was impressive, Urías was better and the Dodgers (6-2) won their fifth in a row.