The Atlanta Braves took on the Cincinnati Reds in a day game to give them time to travel to Bristol. Based on the pitching matchups it looked like it may be another high scoring affair, but this time during the early parts of the game. This was not the case.
The Braves did not start out great. Brady Singer was able to strikeout the side on only twelve pitches. When the Reds came to bat, Bryce Elder held them to the minimum number of hitters as well, but Gavin Lux singled to lead off the bottom of the first followed by a McLain lineout and a De La Cruz GIDP to Ozzie Albies.
The Braves looked like they were going to get something going in the second inning. Baldwin singled. After Ozuna flied out, Harris singled and then Albies walked to load the bases with one out. The momentum was cut shot when Eli White struck out and then Nick Allen hit a routine fly to right.
Elder picked up where he left off when he was able to pick up his second and third straight ground outs and then got Fraley to hit a routine fly to Eli White. There was not much more offense for the Braves in the third other than Matt Olson getting a single.
Elder continued to allow contact but got the results he wanted in the third. Trevino flied out to LF, and then Elder picked up his first strikeout of the game when he got Benson on a changeup outside. Ke’Bryan Hayes then hit a 104.8 MPH rocket to LF where Profar made a slick sliding play to get the out.
The fourth inning for the Braves was another dud. Ozuna and Harris struck out back-to-back, and Ozzie Albies hit yet another pop up. In case you are wondering, Albies has a pop-up rate of 11.5 percent this season. By far his worst of his career.
Elder gave up another single to Gavin Lux in the bottom of the fourth. Fortunately, that was the only damage as he was able to strike out McLain and then get De La Cruz to line out and then Marte to ground out.
The Braves were able to get a baserunner to second in the fifth inning after Eli White singled and then Nick Allen had a sacrifice bunt. This strategy ultimately did not work out because Profar popped up and Olson then struck out. Elder stayed strong in the fifth inning by continuing to produce groundouts. He saw the minimum number of hitters and picked up two more groundouts along the way.
Unfortunately, the Braves also only had the minimum number of hitters when they came to bat again. Riley struck out, Baldwin hit a routine play to LF, and Ozuna also ended up strikeout out as well. Elder stayed in the game to pitch the sixth, and this is where the Reds got crafty. The speedy Will Benson singled, and after a pickoff attempt, and a Hayes flyout, he stole second. Lux struck out, but then McLain came through with a single that scored Benson from second. De La Cruz was then intentionally walked. No more damage came from it as Elder struck out Marte.
Brady Singer was replaced by Scott Barlow in the seventh, which worked out well for the Reds. The Braves were not able to produce a baserunner. Even after giving up a run, Elder stayed in for the seventh inning. He walked Spencer Steer but then struck out Fraley and got Trevino to fly out. He was then replaced by Dylan Dodd for some reason. It made sense to replace Elder, but it is odd that Dodd was chosen in this situation. Right after the change, Benson hit a HR to make the score 0-3. Hayes then flied out to end the inning. Elder ended his day with 6.2 innings of work while allowing four hits, two earned runs while allowing two walks and accumulating five strikeouts. This was easily his best start since the first week of July.
Tony Santillan replaced Barlow to face Sean Murphy, who pinch hit for Nick Allen. The pinch-hit attempt was not successful as Murphy struck out on three pitches. Profar then walked on a nine pitch at-bat to give the Braves their first baserunner since the fifth inning. Matt Olson then came to the plate and hit a double off of a slurve to put runners on second and third with one out. Austin Riley came to the plate with a chance to do some damage. He put up a decent fight after starting the count 0-2 but then struck out on a slurve that was way out of the zone on the sixth pitch of the at-bat. Drake Baldwin just missed being the hero. He launched one to the warning track in deep left center with a ball that traveled at 105.3 MPH, but it was not meant to be and the top of the eighth was over.
Dylan Dodd stayed in the game and Luke Williams came in to play shortstop since Murphy pinch hit for Allen. Austin Hayes then pinch-hit for Gavin Lux and struck out. Dodd must have had a good pep talk in the in the dugout, because he struck out the side.
The Braves were down to their last chance in the top of the ninth. Emilio Pagán came in to pitch and Marcell Ozuna was up to bat. Ozuna was able to draw a walk after being down 0-2. Michael Harris then singled and also moved Ozuna to third. This resulted in an understandable mound visit. With the bottom three of the Braves lineup and how they have been performing, it was likely that Pagán just needed to settle down.
Emilio Pagán did not settle down and after Albies had a 2-0 count, he smacked a single to score Ozuna. Another mound visit ensued, but Pagán stayed in the game to face White. Albies stole second on a 2-2 count to White for his tenth steal of the season. White was called out on strikes on a questionable pitch low on the seventh pitch of the at-bat. Luke Williams then hit the first pitch he saw for a sac fly to make the score 2-3. The rally ultimately fell short when Profar grounded out to second to end it.
The Braves once again lost a one-run game. They lost their MLB leading twenty-seventh one run game. The second closest is twenty-four by the White Sox and Pirates. The Braves offense did show some tenacity late in the game, but it was not enough.
The Braves play the Reds again tomorrow in the first ever MLB Speedway Classic where Spencer Strider is scheduled to make the start.
