Cincinnati Reds RHP Hunter Greene makes All-Star debut, gives up 2-run HR to Jarren Duran

ARLINGTON, Texas – Cincinnati Reds All-Star pitcher Hunter Greene said more than once leading up to his first MLB All-Star Game that he planned to take time to “smell the roses.”

Nobody said anything about the thorn.

But even after giving up the decisive two-run homer to Boston’s Jarren Duran in the fifth inning to take the loss in the American League’s 5-3 win over the NL Greene was still talking about the roses.

“It was a lot of fun and I tried to just enjoy as much as I could the last couple days,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t want to give up the homer, but I had a great time out there. It’s the best players in the world.”

Greene said the moment hit him when he took the mound, even though there was some familiarity, having made one of his better starts of the season in the same place against the Texas Rangers in April.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “There was a little bit of it that felt like another game. But at the same time, just the atmosphere. I played here earlier this year, and it was sold out, so seeing all the fans wasn’t a shock. But just understanding where I was at the All-Star Game was more of a shock.”

Greene, who took over a 3-3 game to pitch the fifth inning for the National Leaguers, got two quick outs on long fly balls to center by Detroit’s Riley Greene and Texas’ Corey Seager before Baltimore’s Anthony Santander singled to right.

 Hunter Greene shows up to Globe Life Field for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran then crushed an 0-1 splitter to right-center for a two-run homer and American League lead.

Greene retired Cleveland’s David Fry on a pop to short to end the inning.

Teammate Elly De La Cruz made his All-Star debut as a defensive replacement at third base in the bottom of the sixth.

De La Cruz singled in his first at-bat, leading off the sixth but didn’t have a chance to steal and was stranded. He grounded out in the ninth.