Braves at Reds
The Cincinnati Reds began the week with just three victories through 21 games, but enter Wednesday’s home contest on a two-game winning streak after getting a long-awaited power surge from two of their top sluggers. Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett, who combined for 63 homers a season ago but were both stuck on zero entering Tuesday, accounted for three blasts to power the Reds to a 9-7 victory over the Braves in 12 innings.
The homers were a long time coming for Votto (36 homers in 2017 but homerless in his first 79 at-bats this season) and Gennett (27 homers last season but without one in 91 at-bats in 2018). After Votto and Gennett went back-to-back in the fifth inning, Gennett slugged a two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th to give the Reds the walk-off victory. The Braves, who came to town leading the National League in runs scored and batting average, were no-hit for six innings Tuesday by Tyler Mahle - who struck out 11 in his ninth major-league start - but battled back for seven runs on 11 hits in the final six innings. Freddie Freeman broke up the no-hitter with a long homer leading off the seventh for his first longball since April 3, then blasted a long homer deep into the right-field seats in the ninth for his 12th career multi-homer game to jump-start a four-run, game-tying rally.
TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Matt Wisler (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. Reds LH Brandon Finnegan (0-2, 11.05)
Called up for an emergency start last Thursday after Anibal Sanchez injured his hamstring, Wisler put together arguably the best outing of his inconsistent career. The 25-year-old, who made 45 starts in 2015-16 before starting just once last season, held the New York Mets to one run on two hits with no walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings. Wisler posted a 2.25 ERA in two starts with Triple-A Gwinnett before being promoted.
Finnegan has made two starts since spending time on the disabled list with a left biceps strain that he suffered during spring training, but walked eight hitters while allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits in a combined 7 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old, who only made four starts last season due to injuries, lasted just three innings against St. Louis on Friday in his last start, allowing four walks and four runs. Finnegan is 2-0 lifetime against Atlanta with a 2.45 ERA, both outings coming during a 2016 season in which he went 10-11 in 31 starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cincinnati scratched C Devin Mesoraco (stiff neck) from the starting lineup as C Tucker Barnhart started in his place.
2. Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte pushed his hitting streak to eight games with a two-run, game-tying single in the ninth.
3. Cincinnati RF Jesse Winker extended his hitting streak to six games with a seventh-inning double.