Marcell Ozuna doubled twice and snapped a tie with a towering home run in a three-run seventh inning as the visiting Atlanta Braves finally beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Ozuna had been in a 26-game homerless drought before driving a 3-0 pitch from reliever Tony Santillan (2-3) to center to open the seventh. Ramon Laureano just missed a two-run homer off the top of the wall in left two batters later. Laureano and Matt Olson scored on an Orlando Arcia two-out insurance single.
Michael Harris II added a no-doubt homer, his 13th, in the eighth as Atlanta (82-70) defeated Cincinnati (74-79) for the first time in five meetings this season. The win assured the Braves of staying within two games of the New York Mets for the third and final National League wild-card spot with 10 games remaining. With the loss, Cincinnati was eliminated from playoff contention.
Atlanta rookie right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (7-7) won his second straight start, allowing one run on five hits over six innings. Schwellenbach didn’t allow a hit until Jonathan India tripled to right with two outs in the third. Elly De La Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning.
De La Cruz atoned in the sixth when he opened with a triple down the right field line, just beyond the reach of Jorge Soler. After Tyler Stephenson was hit by a pitch, TJ Friedl dropped a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to first to score De La Cruz and tie the game at 1.
Cincinnati starter Jakob Junis held Atlanta to one run and two hits over six innings. The righty was perfect early, retiring the first 11 batters before Ozuna broke through with a double just beyond the diving reach of Spencer Steer in left-center. Matt Olson followed with a sharp single to center, scoring Ozuna.
Junis provided a lift to a Cincinnati rotation decimated by injuries. Tuesday’s starter, Brandon Williamson, revealed on Wednesday that he suffered a full tear of his UCL in his left elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery, putting him out for this season and most likely all of next season.
Eli White entered as a defensive replacement in the seventh and robbed Stephenson of a home run in right field in the eighth.