Reds at Braves
The Atlanta Braves bolstered their bullpen at the trade deadline, but they enter their home game Friday against the Cincinnati Reds off a strong performance from their starting rotation. Max Fried pitched six innings in a rain-shortened 4-1 victory Thursday that pushed the Braves lead in the National League East to seven games over Philadelphia and Washington, thanks to the 25-year-old southpaw allowing just four hits and one run with no walks and four strikeouts.
Another encouraging sign for the Braves is the start to August for first baseman Freddie Freeman - who hit .276 with three homers in July after batting at least .315 in each of the previous two months - as he belted a three-run first-inning homer Thursday to move to seventh on the franchise home run list with 215. While Freeman hit his team-leading 26th homer Thursday (breaking a tie with for the team lead with Josh Donaldson and Ronald Acuna Jr.), the Reds lost for only the second time in the past seven games. Second baseman Jose Peraza snapped a 0-for-7 skid across his past five games with an at-bat with a 1-for-2 performance, driving home the only Cincinnati run. The Reds had averaged 5.7 runs and 10.1 hits while going 6-3 in their previous nine games before Thursday's result.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cincinnati), FS South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds LH Alex Wood (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Braves RH Kevin Gausman (3-6, 5.97)
Acquired in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wood finally made his Reds debut Sunday after missing the first four months with back issues. The 28-year-old gave up two runs on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings against Colorado, throwing 51 of his 80 pitches for strikes. Wood, who gave up five runs (four earned) on 12 hits in 11 1/3 innings in four minor-league rehab starts, made his major-league debut with the Braves in 2013 and is 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA in five career starts against his former club.
After a promising return from the injured list with seven innings of one-run ball July 21 against Washington, Gausman struggled Sunday at Philadelphia in allowing six runs on nine hits in six innings. The 28-year-old gave up three homers (including a grand slam) in the loss to the Phillies, and he has pitched to a 10.13 ERA with 39 hits allowed - including six homers - in 21 1/3 innings in his past five starts dating to May 29. Gausman, who missed six weeks with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, surrendered six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings to lose to the Reds on April 23.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Reds announced RHP Trevor Bauer, acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline, will make his Cincinnati debut Saturday.
2. Atlanta OF Adam Duvall homered in the sixth inning Thursday, giving him five longballs in six games since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
3. Braves 2B Ozzie Albies is 8-for 20 with four doubles in his past five games.