TJ Friedl hit a pair of home runs to help the visiting Cincinnati Reds end a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Friedl began the game with a home run and added another solo shot in the third inning. They were his second and third homers of the season and the third multi-homer game of his career.
However, the Reds lost ace Hunter Greene, who left the game with a groin injury while warming up to start the fourth. The right-hander looked strong over three scoreless innings as he fanned six while allowing two hits.
The winning pitcher was Brent Suter (1-0), who replaced Greene and allowed one run over two innings. Luis Mey, Tony Santillan and Emilio Pagan closed the game with one scoreless inning apiece to nail down the win. Pagan struck out two and earned his ninth save.
The losing pitcher was Grant Holmes (2-3). He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits, one walk and five strikeouts. He surrendered both of Friedl’s home runs.
The Reds scored twice in the first inning but short-circuited a potential big inning with some poor base running. With runners on the corners, Gavin Lux grounded to third to score Matt McLain, but Elly De La Cruz turned too wide at second base and was cut down when first baseman Matt Olson threw behind him.
Cincinnati upped its lead to 4-0 with a run in the fourth inning. Atlanta-area product Tyler Stephenson, who struck out five times on Tuesday, singled to left to drive in Lux.
The Braves scored in the fifth when Drake Baldwin hit a solo homer, his third.
Atlanta scored twice in the sixth to cut the lead to 4-3. Austin Riley extended his hitting streak to six games with a double and scored on Matt Olson’s single that grazed the glove of shortstop De La Cruz. Ozzie Albies got a run home with a sacrifice fly.
