The Atlanta Braves led 5-1 at one point in this game, but instead of taking a clear win, they let it rip and suffered a very frustrating 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at the start of their final away tour of the season.
The first inning was a successful one for the Braves, as they wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. And I mean it – Michael Harris II hit Brandon Williamson’s second pitch of the game deep into the right-center field seats for a solo hit that got Atlanta going.
With one out on the scoreboard, Marcell Ozuna hit a single to get on base, and then Matt Olson took the third pitch he saw from Williamson and hit a moonshot that just kept flying until it landed a few rows deep in right field and became a two-run dinger that made it 3-0 for the Braves.
As you can imagine, any pitcher would be thrilled to step onto the mound with a 3-0 lead, and that was the case for Grant Holmes. The first inning was definitely no picnic for Holmes, however, as Elly De La Cruz hit a one-out double to get the offense going, and then Tyler Stephenson brought Elly home with a single to make it 3-1. Holmes eventually found himself in a bases-loaded situation with two outs, but he was able to force a flyout from Santiago Espinal and end the inning without further damage.
Atlanta got the run back in the next inning when Ramón Laureano hit a grounder with the bases loaded that Elly De La Cruz couldn’t capitalize on. That was all the Braves could manage with the bases loaded, however, as Travis d’Arnaud came up to end the run. Grant Holmes pitched a clean inning in the next run, and it seemed like this game would follow the winning formula of Atlanta coming through with just enough offense and keeping the opposition quiet at the plate.
After both teams exchanged scoreless frames in the third inning, both teams traded one-run innings in the fourth. At this point in the game, Cincinnati had its third pitcher, Carson Spiers, after replacing Fernando Cruz, who replaced Brandon Williamson, who left the game in the second inning after suffering a strained left elbow. Jorge Soler welcomed Spiers to the game by hitting a no-doubter to center field to increase Atlanta’s lead to 5-1.
The Reds responded immediately as Ty Frances’ leadoff double eventually led to a sacrifice fly by Jake Fraley that brought him home and made it 5-2 to the Braves at that point. This was the end of the night for Grant Holmes and while it definitely wasn’t spectacular, he did his job while he was out there and that’s all you can ask of him in that situation.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, that was the end of it, as the next two innings went clearly in Cincinnati’s favor. Jesse Chavez started the sixth inning after pitching a clean fifth, getting the first two outs before getting into trouble himself. Santiago Espinal hit a single to start, and then Jake Fraley made things worse when he hit a grounder that neither Orlando Arcia nor Gio Urshela could handle. That opened the door for 46 wRC+ hitter Noelvi Marte, who hit a double into the outfield in the gap, bringing both Espinal and Fraley home. It certainly didn’t help matters that Michael Harris II didn’t field the ball cleanly, and his error proved costly, as the game was tied at one point at the end.
Pierce Johnson got the ball after that moment and although he ended the inning, he walked the first batter he saw and also had to deal with Marte at third base after the latter stole the ball on the walk. In the seventh inning, the Braves got runners on the corners with two outs, but Jorge Soler hit a harmless fly ball to center to end the inning. Johnson went back out for Cincinnati’s half of the seventh inning and they immediately pounced on him. Tyler Stephenson opened the inning with a single and then Spencer Steer got a curveball from Johnson that was low but on the one and sent it over the left field wall for a crucial two-run homer. Spencer Steer joined the 20/20 club in the process and I joined the baseball sadness club for the night.
From that point on, Atlanta’s offense couldn’t get anything going. Ramón Laureano hit a two-out single in the eighth inning, but was taken out at second base in the bottom of the inning after Elly De La Cruz made a spectacular dive to catch the ball and throw Laureano out. As the ninth inning began, Orlando Arcia hit a two-out single, and then pinch-runner Eli White stole second base to get into scoring position for Michael Harris II. Unfortunately, there would be no more appearances for Money Mike tonight, as Alexis Díaz threw him out, ending the game and condemning the Braves to another disappointing loss.
There’s no sugarcoating it – with the way these pitchers have performed this season, a 5-1 lead for the Braves should have been a no-brainer. Instead, the Braves were undone by two bad innings and the Reds came from behind to win. Just when the Braves should have been on a roll, they instead picked a terrible time to start a three-game losing streak and now desperately need help from the Washington Nationals (ha), Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies (who, to their credit, are ahead of the Diamondbacks right now). But all the help in the world from other teams is useless if the Braves can’t get the job done themselves, and you just can’t blow a lead like that when you’re in a postseason race.
They’ll have a chance to turn things around tomorrow night starting at 6:40 p.m. ET, when Spencer Schwellenbach will step up and hopefully help get Atlanta back on track for the postseason.
