Reds at Braves
The Atlanta Braves return home to open a four-game series Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds following a successful week that included two series victories over National League East rivals and a bolstered relief corps. The Braves shaky bullpen blew a late three-run lead Wednesday at Washington before Josh Donaldson homered in the 10th inning for a 5-4 triumph, and Atlanta acquired relievers Shane Greene from Detroit along with Mark Melancon from San Francisco at the trade deadline.
The Atlanta bullpen - which also acquired Texas reliever Chris Martin on Tuesday - gets an immediate boost after entering Wednesday with 191 walks (fifth-most in the majors) and a 1.41 WHIP (21st in the majors), and the Braves come home after winning two of three at Philadelphia and at Washington to extend their lead in the East to 6 1/2 games. The Reds also were active at the deadline, acquiring pitcher Trevor Bauer from Cleveland as part of a three-team deal Tuesday. Cincinnati won for the fourth time in five games Wednesday, downing Pittsburgh 4-1 as center fielder Nick Senzel finished 3-for-4 to give him hits in 10 of his past 14 games and a .404 average in that span. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez homered Wednesday to finish the month with 12 longballs, the most by a Reds player in July since Adam Dunn slugged 12 in July 2008.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (6-5, 4.01 ERA) vs. Braves LH Max Fried (11-4, 4.21)
DeSclafani pitched well in four July starts, going 1-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while averaging 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings with six walks allowed in 22 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old gave up one run on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts over five innings to earn the victory Saturday against Colorado, six days after striking out 11 and allowing only one earned run in six frames of a loss to St. Louis. DeSclafani is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four career starts against the Braves, the last appearance coming in 2016.
Fried has been hit harder as the season has progressed, as opponents hit just .237 off him in April but .313 in June and .318 with a .920 OPS in July. The 25-year-old returned from an injured-list stint for a blister Saturday at Philadelphia, giving up four earned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a 15-7 victory (a game Atlanta led 11-0 in the third inning). Fried, who has pitched to a 5.11 ERA with a .307 opponents batting average across his past seven starts, is 4-1 in that span with 42 strikeouts in 37 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Donaldson has hit 17 homers with 41 RBIs and 27 runs scored in his past 43 games dating to June 11.
2. Cincinnati RF Jesse Winker homered in the first inning Wednesday, giving the Reds a big-league best 31 longballs in the first inning and a major-league leading 86 runs scored in the opening frame this season.
3. Atlanta LF Adam Duvall went 2-for-5 with a homer and double Wednesday, and is batting .500 with four homers, six RBIs and six runs scored in five games since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.