October 18, 2024
ATLANTA (AP) — Eddie Rosario led off the eighth inning with a tie-breaking home run and the Atlanta Braves beat Cincinnati 5-4 on Wednesday night to sweep the three-game series and extend the Reds' frustrations in close games.
Rosario's first homer of the season landed in the Braves' bullpen behind the centerfield wall, breaking a 4-4 tie. Buck Farmer (0-3) gave up the homer as the Reds fell to 0-5 in one-run games, including each of the three losses in Atlanta.
Cincinnati's Hunter Greene allowed three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. Greene ended the sixth by striking out Ehire Adrianza and Marcell Ozuna, giving the 23-year-old right-hander his third career game with double-digit strikeouts.
Greene outlasted Spencer Strider in the matchup of hard-throwing young right-handers.
Strider, 24, recorded nine strikeouts for the third straight start but allowed three runs in five innings. Tyler Stephenson's two-run single gave the Reds a 2-0 lead in the first, and Will Myers' bases-loaded groundout in the third drove in a run.
Greene left the game with a 4-3 lead. Ronald Acuña Jr. tied the game with his third hit, a single off Ian Gibaut in the seventh to drive in Sam Hilliard, who walked and stole second.
Acuña had a two-run single up the middle in the second. Sean Murphy's double drove in Austin Riley for a 3-3 tie in the third.
After Kirby Yates (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth, A.J. Minter recorded the final three outs for his second save in three chances.
