CINCINNATI — Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña’s power surge continued in the first inning Sunday as he went deep for the fifth time in four games.
Despite an intriguing ninth inning at Great American Ball Park, his team’s winning streak came to an end.
Eugenio Suárez homered for the first time since April 15, and left-hander Nick Lodolo allowed three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 win over the Braves.
Atlanta, which has the best record in Major League Baseball and sits atop the National League East Division standings, fell to 40-20 despite Acuña hitting the franchise-record 39th leadoff homer of his nine-year career on Lodolo’s first pitch. The Braves entered the day having won three straight games since dropping three of four.
They had also already wrapped up a series victory in Cincinnati by winning Friday’s opener 8-3 and Saturday’s game 5-2, but the Braves missed out on what would have been just their third sweep this year despite having won 16 of their first 19 series (while losing two series and splitting another).
The Reds haven’t been swept at home since dropping three games to the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 16-18, 2024. The stretch of 40 consecutive series is Cincinnati’s longest such streak since 2013.
Acuña — a five-time MLB All-Star and the 2023 NL MVP — and Michael Harris II each went 2-for-3 with two walks for the Braves. Acuña’s RBI single in the ninth cut Cincinnati’s lead to 6-4, and while Harris then walked to load the bases, Reds left-hander Sam Moll got Matt Olson to ground out for his first save this season and the second of his MLB career.
Lodolo (2-1) allowed four walks and seven hits, including a pair of homers, while striking out four batters to help the NL Central’s last-place Reds improve to 30-28.
Reds left fielder JJ Bleday had RBI doubles in each of his first two at-bats, driving in Elly De La Cruz twice.
De La Cruz, the team’s starting shortstop and an MLB All-Star in 2024 and 2025 during his first two full seasons in the majors, left the game in the fifth with right hamstring tightness after hitting a single and pulling up at first base. Reds manager Terry Francona said De La Cruz will have an MRI on Monday.
Spencer Steer singled and scored when Will Benson doubled off the wall and Acuña misplayed the carom for an error to make it 3-1 in the fourth.
Braves designated hitter Jorge Mateo homered for the second straight game to cut the Reds’ lead to a run in the top of the fifth, but Suarez’s sacrifice fly extended it to 4-2 in the bottom half. An inning later, P.J. Higgins made it 5-3 with an RBI double off Didier Fuentes.
Atlanta starter Spencer Strider (3-1) allowed three earned runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out eight batters and walked two in the 90-pitch outing.
Suárez, who missed 25 games with a mild left oblique strain, homered off Dylan Dodd in the seventh, his fourth homer of the season.
The Braves are off Monday but were headed home for a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (29-31) that begins Tuesday at Truist Park. Right-hander Bryce Elder (4-3, 2.50 ERA) is the scheduled starter for Atlanta in the opener, while the reigning American League champions will give the ball to right-hander Kevin Gausman (4-3, 3.13).