Irvin extends scoreless streak to 20 2/3 innings, Orioles blank Reds 3-0

CINCINNATI -- — Cole Irvin extended his scoreless streak to 20 2/3 innings, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Friday night.

Irvin (3-1) allowed two hits — both by Elly De La Cruz — through 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked none.

“He’s pitching with a ton of confidence right now,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s confidence in what he’s throwing. Great pitch mix. Keeping guys off balance. He's pitching with conviction.”

Irvin hasn't allowed a run since the fourth inning on April 15 against Minnesota.

“Just trying to keep the ball down and execute pitches as best I can,” Irvin said. “Thinking about tonight's outing and these last few outings, I'm just so blessed. Just trying to be as consistent as I can.”

Irvin allowed De La Cruz’s leadoff double in the seventh, and then struck out Spencer Steer looking before he was pulled by Hyde. The left-hander threw 72 pitches, 50 for strikes, and he said he had plenty left when he departed.

“I had Yennier Cano down there, the middle of the order (coming up), and that was our best option,” Hyde said.

Cano got two outs and Danny Coulombe worked the eighth. Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 11th save.

Ryan O’Hearn homered for Baltimore, which won for the fourth time in five games.

The start of the game was delayed two hours and 41 minutes by rain.

Reds starter Hunter Greene struggled coming out of the delay. Jake Fraley threw out Gunnar Henderson trying to stretch a leadoff single into a double, and the Orioles failed to score in the first despite two hits and a walk.

Greene, who has tossed 14 straight scoreless innings, didn't allow another hit until the fifth. The right-hander walked four and committed a balk in 5 2/3 innings.

Irvin, making his sixth start of the season, retired 17 in a row after De La Cruz singled with one out in the first. Irvin recorded 11 groundball outs through six innings, especially important in homer-friendly Great American Ball Park.

“I would really like groundballs to be a more consistent part of my game,” Irvin said. “The only thing I can control is how I command the baseball. This ballpark is definitely small. Pitchers can come in here and think about it a little bit. I've had some success here.”

The Orioles broke through in the seventh against Emilio Pagán (2-2).

Jorge Mateo led off with a single, stole second and scored on Adley Rutschman's double. O'Hearn followed with a two-run homer.

“Irvin threw a lot of curveballs," Reds manager David Bell said. "He was able to keep us honest inside with his fastball. Both starting pitchers today after a long rain delay was pretty much the story of the game. They came out on top.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Orioles: OF Austin Hays (left calf strain) will work out with Double-A Bowie then begin a rehab assignment next week.

Reds: 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand and C Tyler Stephenson returned to the lineup after they both were hit on the hand by pitches on Saturday. ... RHP Frankie Montas (right arm contusion) is expected to start Tuesday in Arizona.

UP NEXT

Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott (1-3, 3.27 ERA) will make his seventh start of the season on Saturday. Orioles left-hander John Means takes the mound after beginning the season on the IL with a left forearm strain.

------

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb