CINCINNATI – Tony Santillan allowed one run in six innings to earn the first win of his Major League Baseball career, and Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
Santillan (1-1) gave up three hits, struck out eight batters and walked three in his third MLB start. He also doubled in the third inning for his first hit in the majors.
“Tony was very happy not only to get a win, but he pitched very well,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He got his first hit. It was a big night for him.”
MLB’s crackdown on the use of sticky substances continued Thursday, with umpires making random checks of pitchers. Braves manager Brian Snitker deflected any notion of suspicion with left-hander Tyler Matzek, who threw 21 pitches and walked three in two-thirds of an inning in relief of starter Jesse Chavez (0-1).
Matzek averaged 2,575 rpm on his slider, 2,090 on his fastball, and 2,477 with his curve – all below his season averages of 2,997, 2,487, and 3,303. It was his second outing since the new rules were implemented.
“He just couldn’t get a hold of the ball,” Snitker said. “I don’t know why.”
The Braves, who have scored nearly half their runs this season via home runs, went ahead 1-0 on 2020 National League MVP Freddie Freeman’s 17th homer of the season in the first. However, that was the only run Atlanta managed against Santillan.
“This, for me at least, it’s the top of the top to get a win by my name,” Santillan said. “I don’t show a lot of emotion on the field. It was good vibes all the way around after I hit the double.”
Brad Brach, the Reds’ fourth pitcher of the night, got three outs for his first save of the season.
It was a bullpen day for the Braves, who summoned 37-year-old Jesse Chavez (0-1) from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his 482nd MLB appearance and first start since 2019. He allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings to take the loss.
The Braves used six pitchers as they opened a four-game series at Great American Ball Park, where they arrived having played six games in the previous four days.
“It wasn’t easy piecing things together,” Snitker said. “We did a good job navigating the whole thing and kept ourselves in the game.”
The Reds were clinging to a 2-1 lead when Castellanos delivered the big blow, his two-run blast off Luke Jackson in the seventh. Castellanos drove in four runs.
“Those are the spots I have to better in,” Castellanos said. “I needed to be better with runners on base.”
Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies hit a solo home run off Tejay Antone in the eighth. Ehire Adrianza had an RBI single in the same inning.
Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was out of the lineup for the second straight day with a stiff back. Acuna was scratched from his start Wednesday in the finale of a four-game series against the host New York Mets.
“He’s still sore,” Snitker said. “They worked on him today. Hopefully he’ll be back in there tomorrow. It’s a day-to-day thing.”
On Friday, right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez (3-1, 3.86 ERA) is set to make his sixth MLB appearance after becoming the 19th pitcher in Reds franchise history with at least three wins in his first four starts since Tom Shearn in 2007. The Braves will counter with left-hander Drew Smyly (0-1, 4.70 ERA), who will be making his 13th start of the season.