Braves 7, Reds 2
Dan Uggla recorded his first multi-homer game in nearly a year and Juan Francisco delivered his first career grand slam as visiting Atlanta took two of three from Cincinnati.
Uggla’s first two-homer game since June 5, 2012 came in support of Mike Minor (4-2), who allowed one run on four hits and struck out seven over seven frames. Andrelton Simmons had a career-high four hits for the Braves, who entered the series with six straight losses at Great American Ball Park.
Zack Cozart tallied his fifth home run of the season in the third inning, but the Reds were unable to back Mike Leake (2-2) with any more offense until Jay Bruce’s solo home run in the ninth. The right-hander was charged with four runs and eight hits over seven-plus innings.
Cozart ended an eight-pitch at-bat in the third with a line-drive solo blast to the second deck in left field, but Uggla turned on a first-pitch fastball in the fourth to even it. In his next at-bat, Uggla lined a 3-2 sinker from Leake down the line in left in the sixth to give the Braves a lead they would not relinquish.
After dodging a scoring threat by Cincinnati in the seventh, Jordan Schafer and Simmons brought a close to Leake’s day with consecutive singles. Freddie Freeman followed with an RBI single off reliever Sean Marshall and Justin Upton drew a walk, loading the bases for Francisco’s blast to right off J.J. Hoover.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Francisco and Hoover were traded for each other on April 1, 2012. … Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto and CF Shin-Soo Choo went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, only the second time both players failed to reach base in the same game this season. … Minor (No. 7 overall) and Leake (No. 8) were selected with consecutive picks in the 2009 draft.