BALTIMORE – Hunter Greene’s first rough outing in five starts this season not only cost the Cincinnati Reds their best chance to win Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles but also proved costly for their pitching plans for the finale of their first series of a long, three-city road trip.

And just like that what looked like a soft part of the schedule over the next several days got that much tougher.

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With the Reds still trailing by just two runs Saturday when Greene was lifted after three labored innings, manager Terry Francona went to Sunday’s scheduled starter, Carson Spiers, for length, a chance to win against an Orioles rookie starter, and bullpen preservation – turning Sunday’s rubber game in Baltimore into a likely bullpen day for the Reds after the 9-5 loss Saturday.

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Spiers was recalled from Triple-A Louisville Friday when Sunday’s originally scheduled starter, Nick Lodolo, went to the paternity list and joined his wife for the birth of their first child.

Greene (2-2), who entered the day with an 18 2/3-innings scoreless streak and 0.98 ERA, gave up back-to-back home runs in a three-pitch span to the first two Orioles batters, Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson.

And it was a struggle the rest of the way for Greene, who needed 29 pitches to get through the first, 30 more for the second and finished with 77 total after a third inning that included another home run, this one a two-run shot by Ramon Laureano.

Greene had allowed three runs combined in his first four starts. And three home runs over the next three innings.

If there’s a pitching equalizer, or at least solace, for the Reds as they came out of Saturday, it was that the Orioles needed seven relievers to finish Saturday’s game, including closer Felix Bautista.

The Reds actually led twice, briefly, in this one, scoring once in a four-hit first (a second potential run getting thrown out at the plate for the final out), and then 3-2 after scoring two more in the top of the second against right-hander Brandon Young, who was making his big-league debut.

Young settled down in the third and fourth but was done after a leadoff walk to TJ Friedl in the fifth.

If there was a highlight for the Reds in this one, it was Jake Fraley’s second-inning solo home run over the right-field bleachers onto Eutaw Street, the 132nd home run hit onto Eutaw in the history of the 34th-year Camden Yards ballpark.

He was the first to do it for the Reds, who didn’t play at the ballpark until 2011. Saturday marked the Reds’ 11th game at the park.

Seven home runs were hit in Saturday’s game, including a second by Laureano as part of back-to-back Orioles shots in the seventh (when Jordan Westburg followed Laureano’s second homer).

Austin Hays hit a second homer for the Reds, leading off the ninth.