Hunter Greene made a final statement in his inaugural All-Star season on Thursday.

He struck out Colorado’s first six hitters as part of a season-high 10 to back a streaking Reds’ offense in their 8-1 win over the Rockies. Austin Gomber couldn’t match him and allowed four earned runs with a pair of long balls.

It was Colorado’s ninth loss in its last 10 chances at Great American Ballpark.

Here’s a breakdown of the losing series and the moments that mattered most:

The Moment

— Rece Hinds blacked out while rounding the bases and forgot his trek.

The Reds’ rookie debuted Monday and hit his first home run in the eighth inning off Colorado reliever Tyler Kinley to start his club’s four-run inning — after the game, he said his brain went dead around the bases, the moment was too exciting.

He added a near-cycle on Tuesday that included his second home run but fell a single shy of the second-game milestone. It helped the outfielder to the most total bases across a player’s first two games (15) in league history, breaking a record held by Emmet Heidrick (14) from 1901.

He had a hit in all four games of the series and helped the Reds put up 31 runs against a Rockies’ rotation and bullpen that has seen its successes largely come to a halt.

The Rockies have Zac Veen, Yanquiel Fernandez and Drew Romo who could debut in the season’s second half at the plate. Pitchers could make their first appearances too, and the franchise hopes its players can follow in Hinds’ historic footsteps.

Takeaway

— Kyle Freeland breaks the trend of Colorado pitchers with cooling hot streaks.

He was forced to the 60-day injured list for much of the year with a left elbow strain. He endured struggles before the injury, but they have become a thing of the past. Freeland threw 6⅔ innings with two earned runs allowed on Wednesday to help the Rockies to their only win of the four-game set.

Freeland has a 1.71 earned run average in four starts since returning from injury and struck out nine in Colorado’s win over Cincinnati — the most he’s whiffed in a game since Aug. 21, 2021, against Arizona (10).

“There was a sense that the Reds’ plan was maybe to look hard against Kyle,” manager Bud Black said. “He and (Elias Díaz) adjusted pretty quickly to go to the curveball. He threw a lot of them… and it was a good one. Kyle did his part.”

He has shown progress after an offseason of adjustments and an early four-start stretch that saw those tweaks go awry. His latest switch was more curveballs, and he threw 34 of them on Wednesday to keep the Reds off balance. It was a career-high number for a start and beat out his second-most from Aug. 21, 2021, when he previously struck out 10 hitters with 30 curveballs in the mix.

Trades of Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber would make his strides on the mound more important. He’s been the Freeland of old since returning from injury.

What went right

— Sam Hilliard took advantage of a rare start to how Hinds did his debut.

He hit multiple home runs for the first time since April 24, 2023, when he was with the Braves. The third and fifth-inning shots helped the Rockies to a 6-5 win over the Reds on Wednesday to give him 31 in his Colorado career.

“It’s really hard, you know, but you just have to stay consistent,” Hilliard said of his prep for rare starts. “You have to go through those mental reps in your mind, you can’t just sit around and watch the game. You have to go along with the game, you have to visualize yourself in there. An off-day isn’t an off-day.”

Michael Toglia matched him with his 11th and 12th home runs in the four-game series. The two put up the bulk of Colorado’s 13 total runs and showed why the franchise is supplying each a chance in the lineup more regularly.

What went wrong

— Cal Quantrill’s start came to a merciful end due to Cincinnati weather.

A 40-minute weather delay followed his early control issues and forced the Rockies’ most reliable starter out of the game on Tuesday. He allowed five earned runs on a walk, four hits, and a hit-by-pitch in two innings before being pulled. The Reds’ two home runs took most advantage of his wayward command.

It was his shortest start of the year and the second time he’s allowed at least five earned runs in his last three starts. Quantrill had gone 10 consecutive starts before then without allowing more than four to lower his ERA to 3.50 before the latest struggles elevated it to 4.13.

“I thought Cal, in the first (inning), pitched aggressively with his fastball,” Black said. “Stevenson got him. Then the walk, and then it sort of unraveled from there. The ball got elevated — the three-run homer to Benson on the split, he’s a high-ball hitter. A hanging split, they can get hit, and it did.”

Quantrill has been the key to Colorado’s rotation staying afloat and will get a chance to rest during the All-Star break before a pre-trade-deadline push. He made 19 starts since coming from Cleveland and carries a 6-7 record with 78 strikeouts in 102⅓ innings.

What’s up next

— Colorado makes a trip to New York for a three-game set with the Mets before the All-Star break.

Germán Márquez may return for Sunday’s start and his first since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Rookie Tanner Gordon will take the ball Friday for his second start after he had the highest strike percentage of any Rockies’ starter this year in his debut.

Reds 8, Rockies 1

What happened: Austin Gomber allowed two Reds’ home runs to put the Rockies’ struggling offense behind early as it failed to succeed against All-Star Hunter Greene and his season-high 10 strikeouts.

On the mound: Gomber allowed four earned runs on seven hits and a walk to raise his earned run average to 4.61. He has allowed at least four earned runs in six of his last seven starts after starting the year with a 2.76 ERA in 10 starts. Tyler Kinley bounced back with a scoreless inning before Anthony Molina allowed four earned runs and garnered just two outs. Ty Blach closed the action with 1⅓ innings.

At the plate: Michael Toglia represented all of Colorado’s offense with his 12th home run — a solo shot in the fifth inning. Ezequiel Tovar and Nolan Jones had the club’s other two hits as the Rockies finished with three alongside four walks and 13 strikeouts.

What’s next: Colorado Rockies (RHP Tanner Gordon, 0-1; 7.11) at New York Mets (LHP Sean Manaea, 5-3; 3.43) on Friday at 5:10 p.m. at Citi Field (Rockies.TV).