Hunter Greene pitched seven innings without allowing any runs, giving up just two hits. Will Benson hit a home run, and the Cincinnati Reds used their speed to defeat Reynaldo López and the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Monday night.
Greene (7-4), who started for the first time since the All-Star Game, struck out seven batters. In his last four starts, he has only allowed a total of two runs.
The Reds ended their four-game losing streak and handed the Braves their third consecutive loss.
Greene mentioned that catcher Luke Maile’s pre-game speech in Atlanta motivated him and the team. “What he said was fantastic,” Greene remarked. “It definitely got me going and I believe it motivated the rest of the team.”
Reds manager David Bell noted that Greene was eager to pitch that night. “He wanted to be out there on the mound tonight,” Bell said. “He wanted to be the one leading the charge.”
Marcell Ozuna had two hits for Atlanta, including a single in the ninth inning off Alexis Díaz. Ozuna scored on Eddie Rosario’s sacrifice fly. Díaz closed the game by walking Adam Duvall and Sean Murphy before catching Orlando Arcia’s fly ball to left field.
Cincinnati stole four bases in the game, with Will Benson contributing two of them. The Reds currently lead the majors with 143 stolen bases this season.
Benson, who grew up in Atlanta, credited Luke Maile with encouraging players “to be who you are to the fullest.”
In the first inning, Elly De La Cruz hit a triple to right field and scored on Jeimer Candelario’s sacrifice fly to shallow right field, showcasing his speed. De La Cruz also singled in the third inning and scored from first base on Candelario’s double. He walked and stole his major league-leading 49th base in the fifth inning when the Reds stole three bases in total.
Benson hit his 11th home run of the season to right field in the third inning.
López (7-4) allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings. His ERA increased to 2.12 after suffering his second consecutive loss.
Braves’ 21-year-old second baseman Nacho Alvarez Jr., who was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett, made his major league debut but did not record a hit. Alvarez explained that “Nacho” is a name he only hears from his mother “when she is mad at me.”
