Top draft pick reaches deal with Reds for $7.23 million
LOS ANGELES — Hunter Greene appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine as a 17-year-old. That tells a little about the expectations people have for Greene.
Now he’s ready to embark on a professional baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds after reaching agreement on a $7.23 million signing bonus on Friday just minutes before the deadline, according to his father, Russell.
“He’s on top of the world,” Russell said. “We were getting our hair cut 30 minutes to the deadline. The last two or three minutes, he was on the couch.”
Greene, a pitcher and shortstop from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High, was taken No. 2 overall by the Reds last month in baseball’s amateur draft. His bonus is the largest amount ever for a high school or college player since the current slot format went into effect in with the 2012 draft.
Kris Bryant hit two homers and drove in four runs, Anthony Rizzo went deep and Chicago beat Pittsburgh. Rizzo chased Trevor Williams with a two-run drive in the fourth that made it 3-0. Bryant hit a solo shot against Jhan Marinez in the sixth that cleared the left-field bleachers and added a two-run drive in the eighth off Antonio Bastardo. George Springer homered twice and tied a career high with five RBIs as Houston rocked Aaron Sanchez in his return from the disabled list, propelling the Astros to a win over Toronto. Springer hit his 26th and 27th homers of the season, including a two-run shot off Sanchez (0-2) in the second inning. The All-Star outfielder had four hits, and the Astros improved their major league-leading record to 59-28.
Dustin Pedroia, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hanley Ramirez all homered, Drew Pomeranz won his third consecutive start, and Boston beat Tampa Bay. Pedroia hit a two-run shot during a four-run third, and Bradley Jr. had a fourth-inning solo drive off Jake Odorizzi (5-4) as Boston took a 5-0 lead.
Daniel Murphy’s one-out RBI single in the 10th inning capped Washington’s comeback victory over Atlanta. Adrian Sanchez led off the 10th against Ian Krol (1-2) with his first major league hit and two batters later moved to third on Ryan Zimmerman’s single. Murphy then lofted an opposite-field single over left fielder Matt Kemp’s head to win it for Washington.