CINCINNATI - The Atlanta Braves were able to leave Great American Ball Park with even more confidence in their rotation after three strong starts.
But a day after flirting with disaster in the ninth inning, the reigning World Series champions were unable to avoid more bullpen trouble late in Sunday's game and missed out on a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.
Albert Almora Jr. slapped a bases-loaded single off reliever A.J. Minter past a drawn-in infield with nobody out in the ninth to give the struggling Reds a 4-3 win over the Braves, who wasted a stellar outing by veteran Charlie Morton after he allowed just two baserunners in seven innings, losing his bid for a no-hitter when Max Shrock led off the bottom of the seventh with a single.
"I didn't try to do too much," Almora said. "It was the most excited I've seen the bench, when we went ahead in the eighth. We needed that."
Atlanta scored the game's first run in the fourth on Marcell Ozuna's 16th homer of the season, fell behind 3-1 in the eighth when Matt Reynolds hit an RBI single and pinch-hitter Brandon Drury added a two-run double for Cincinnati, then tied the game in the ninth when Ozuna led off with another homer and rookie Michael Harris II hit his fifth since being called up in late May.
Cincinnati did its damage in the eighth against Collin McHugh, who gave up three consecutive singles with one out and then surrendered Drury's double before getting out of the inning without allowing another baserunner. In the ninth, Minter (4-2) gave up a leadoff single to Tommy Pham, walked Joey Votto, then hit pinch-hitter Jonathan India to set up Almora, who delivered his base hit past diving third baseman Austin Riley.
On Saturday, Atlanta's Will Smith - back in the closer's role with Kenley Jansen on the 15-day injured list due to an irregular heartbeat - issued back-to-back walks and hit a batter to load the bases with two outs in the ninth before Almora came to the plate and hit a fly ball that was caught on the warning track in left field to give the Braves a 4-1 win.
"I hit the ball better yesterday," Almora said Sunday, "but this one worked out."
Not only did the Reds avoid a series sweep, they also snapped a 10-game losing streak at Great American - the longest home losing streak for the team since losing 11 straight at Riverfront Stadium in April-May 1986.
"There were great at-bats leading up to (Almora's) hit," Reds manager David Bell said. "Joey's done it so many times. The focus that it took to take those pitches really shows his greatness."
AP photo by Jeff Dean / Cincinnati right fielder Albert Almora Jr., center, celebrates with teammates after his bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Reds to a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon.It was the first walk-off hit of the season for the Reds, who had been shut down by Morton. The 38-year-old struck out 10 batters and issued a walk in his third seven-inning appearance of the season.
"It was nice to go out there and throw strikes," Morton said. "I was working ahead of guys, but nothing really different from what I've been doing."
In Friday's 9-1 win, Atlanta starter Max Fried struck out four batters in seven innings, and that was followed by rookie Spencer Strider's 11-strikeout showing in a six-inning start.
Cincinnati reliever Hunter Strickland (1-2) got the win Sunday despite allowing the homers to Ozuna and Harris. Reds starter Luis Castillo allowed six hits with six strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
"We've gotten used to games like that from Luis," Bell said, "but we can't take them for granted."
The Braves begin a 10-game homestand Monday, starting with four against the St. Louis Cardinals. In a matchup of right-handers, Kyle Wright (6-4, 3.83 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound in the opener for Atlanta as the Cardinals counter with Dakota Hudson (9-4, 3.03), the 27-year-old former Sequatchie County High School standout from Dunlap, Tennessee.