Reds 6, Braves 3
Devin Mesoraco hit his first career grand slam to help host Cincinnati complete a four-game sweep of Atlanta.
Mesoraco’s homer off Kris Medlen in the sixth inning slid inside the left-field foul pole to give the Reds a 5-2 lead as Cincinnati won its season-best sixth consecutive contest. The Reds moved into first place in the National League Central after St. Louis dropped a 10-9 decision to Philadelphia later on Thursday.
Atlanta matched a season-worst four-game losing skid.
Homer Bailey (3-3) gave up just two runs and four hits in six innings as the Reds registered their first four-game home sweep of the Braves since 1980.
Logan Ondrusek allowed two hits in the ninth but retired Juan Francisco on a game-ending double play for his second save.
Atlanta had a 2-1 lead after Michael Bourn hit a two-run homer off Bailey in the fifth.
Cincinnati loaded the bases with one out in the sixth against Randall Delgado (2-5) before Mesoraco hit his game-changing homer on a 2-0 pitch from Medlen.
Francisco homered in the seventh to get the Braves back within 5-3 before Drew Stubbs hit his third homer of the series in the bottom of the inning.
Delgado was charged with four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cincinnati slammed 10 homers in the series. … Braves third baseman Chipper Jones (calf) was again out of the lineup but was honored by the Reds prior to the game. Jones plans to retire after the season. … The winning streak is Cincinnati’s longest since a seven-game streak in 2010. … Atlanta catcher Brian McCann (illness) sat out.