He could only imagine how Greene, a native of Los Angeles, would transfer that emotion on a major-league stage under the brightest of Dodger Stadium lights. As a result, he wished for perfection.
“That would be cinematic,” Pham stated. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were not in attendance for Saturday night’s 5-2 defeat to the Reds, but if Greene’s night were a film, it would almost certainly be 1995’s “Heat.” When the dust settled, the 22-year-old top prospect had thrown 39 fastballs above 100 mph – shattering the record for the most triple-digit readings by a pitcher in a single game during the monitoring period (since 2008). On June 5, 2021, Jacob deGrom set the previous record with 33.
“I wouldn’t have known,” Greene said following the game. Perhaps on this night, his four-seam had a little more life in it. As the remainder of the Reds’ starting lineup was introduced, Dodger Stadium erupted with shouts for the hometown hero as Greene’s name boomed over the stadium’s speakers. Following that, a mass of friends and relatives surrounded Greene in the foul zone of an abandoned field, showering him with good wishes.
“People have followed him here at home,” Senta Greene, his mother, explained. “For people to come out and bear testimony to that experience, as well as the elegance and grace with which he conducted himself, is quite powerful.”
