September 17, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (29) high-fives shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) after a victory over the Atlanta Braves at Nice American Ball Park. Necessary Credit score: Katie Stratman-Imagn Photos The Atlanta Braves tackle the host Cincinnati Reds within the second recreation of a three-game collection on Wednesday as they attempt to rebound after blowing a four-run lead in a vital loss.
If the Warriors (81-70) fail to make the playoffs for the primary time since 2017, the Reds will play a giant position. Cincinnati (74-78) has gained all 4 video games this season and has simply two video games left within the season.
The Warriors took a 5-1 lead in Tuesday’s collection opener earlier than falling to the Reds 6-5. The Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 10-1, the Diamondbacks misplaced 8-2 to the Colorado Rockies, and the Braves trailed New York and Arizona by two video games for the ultimate two Nationwide League wild-card spots.
The Braves, who might lastly be coping with accidents, gained the 2021 World Sequence and gained greater than 100 video games in 2022 and ’23. The crew misplaced ace Spencer Strider to an elbow damage in April and proper fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to an elbow damage in Might. .), misplaced shortstop Ozzie Albies to a damaged wrist in July and third baseman Austin Riley to a hand damage in August.
Albies may return this weekend after hitting a house run in his first rehab recreation on Tuesday.
In Tuesday’s loss to the Reds, the Braves went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring place and left 14 on base, together with the tying run in scoring place within the ninth inning.
“It is powerful,” Warriors head coach Brian Snitker stated. “We have been speaking about all of it 12 months, actually. We had been speaking about it earlier than all of the accidents began, actually. However you recognize what, truthfully, it is not an excuse. We’re who we’re and we’ve Our guys, I feel they’re all able to getting the job completed, it is nearly not attempting too onerous and adjusting in sure conditions.
Braves designated hitter Marcel Ozuna, as soon as a Nationwide League Triple Crown candidate, has been in decline not too long ago and has not hit a house run in 26 video games.
The Reds, in the meantime, are having fun with their spoiler position, successful three of their previous 4 video games, all towards playoff contenders. Spencer Steele capped Tuesday’s comeback with a leadoff two-run homer within the seventh inning.
“I feel we’re on monitor to have a very good few weeks right here this season and go into the offseason with our head held excessive,” Steele stated. “We all know what we’re able to. Once we play clear baseball in all phases of the sport, I feel we’ll be actually onerous to beat. So I feel that is going to be a giant focus for us transferring ahead.”
It was Steele’s twentieth house run of the season and in addition had 25 steals. Steele and Eli De La Cruz hit 24 house runs and stole 64 bases, turning into the primary gamers to hit 20 in a season since Barry Larkin and Eric Davis in 1996. A Cincinnati teammate with greater than 20 house runs and 20 steals.
The Braves will put rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (6-7, 3.73 ERA) on the mound on Wednesday. Schwellenbach earned a win in his most up-to-date outing, permitting 4 hits and two runs in six innings in Friday’s 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Schwellenbach by no means confronted Cincinnati.
The Reds will counter with considered one of their hottest pitchers, right-hander Jakob Junis (4-0, 2.73 ERA), who joins an injury-plagued Cincinnati rotation. Fourth begin. Junis allowed three hits and one run in 5 innings towards the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
Junis is 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in three profession video games (two begins) towards the Braves, all throughout his first two years with the San Francisco Giants accomplished in the course of the interval.
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