Reds Offense Explodes in 11-2 Win Over the Atlanta Braves

Like a carbonated beverage that's been shaken, the Reds offense bubbled over against Derek Lowe and the Atlanta Braves on Saturday afternoon.

Lowe kept the twist off cap on the Reds offense for five innings, the Reds had one run and one hit until then and the hit had absolutely nothing to do with the run.

Drew Stubbs opened the game with a walk off Lowe.  He stole second while Zack Cozart swung at an outside pitch.  Cozart bunted Stubbs to third.  Joey Votto grounded out to get the scoring started.

After that nothing for four innings.

"Lowe had us eating out of his hand," Dusty Baker said.

On the other hand Homer Bailey seemed like a wagon master on the prairie constantly surrounded by Braves.

Jason Heyward doubled with one out.  Bailey rebounded to strike out Brian McCann but Freddie Freeman singled sharply to left.  Jonny Gomes honored his give away bobble head by making a strong throw home to get the speedy Heyward easily.

As rough as that inning was, the second wasn't nearly as smooth.  Dan Uggla, the hero on Friday night, singled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.  Bailey walked Eric Hinske.  Alex Gonzalez popped out to Ryan Hanigan the catcher.  Nate McCouth singled but a strong throw forced Uggla, who is nursing a strained calf, to stop at third.  Lowe the pitcher hit a two-run double.

"We weren't where we wanted to be pitch count wise or with location," Bailey said.  "As soon as I let the pitch go to McCann, I thought thank God Brian McCann isn't batting."

Bailey walked Martin Prado to reload the bases but worked out of it without further damaged.

"Homer scuffled.  He was getting beat up.  He won this game on guts," Baker said.

Bailey gave up five hits and three walks.  He threw 109 pitches in six innings.

"If my turn hadn't come up in the sixth inning, I would have gone out for the seventh," Bailey said in spite of the brutal heat.

The Reds had trouble in the field.  Brandon Phillips bobbled a couple ground balls but managed to get both runners.  Fred Lewis dropped a routine fly ball.  Votto made an ill advised throw on a sacrifice attempt by Lowe.  Cozart went into the runner on the play and had to leave the game with a hyper extended left elbow.  As the post game interviews were conducted, Cozart was having an MRI done.

The play put two on for the Braves with no outs but Bailey worked out of that jam too.

"You have to be able to get guys out with runners on," Bailey said.  "I got a lot of practice with that."

Edgar Renteria and Jay Bruce were both ill and didn't start but both were pressed into duty under duress.

Bruce hit for Bailey in the bottom of the sixth and seemed to find the corkscrew that released the carbonation with a double.  Baker used pitcher, Mike Leake, to run for the ailing Bruce.  The bubbly was out of the bottle.  The pressure was released.  It was only the struggling Reds second hit.

Drew Stubbs bunted for a single, something a lot of Reds fans have been screaming for.

"He works on it everyday with Billy Hatcher," Baker said.  "You still have to work on those things at this level."

Renteria doubled.  Leake and Stubbs scored to give the Reds a lead.

"You don't want to come into a game because someone gets hurt but I was ready," Renteria said.

Votto, who has been slumping with his average "down" to .314 singled with Renteria stopping at third.  Phillips doubled down the line.

The Reds took their frustrations out on Lowe and the Braves bullpen in the seventh, scoring seven times with everyone contributing.  It was the most runs they have scored in an inning since they scored seven error aided runs against the Cubs on May 16th.  They last scored 11 runs against Pittsburgh on April 13th with a seven-run frame.

One of the highlights in the inning was Todd Frazier, who made his first career start, came within a few feet of hitting a grand slam home run but settled for a three-run double.

"Everybody was hitting.  I wanted to get in on it too," Frazier said.

"We exploded," Baker said.  "I hope we memorized how we did it.  I hope this gives us our confidence back.  Momentum shifts from game-to-game but this reminds us of what we're capable of."

The Reds have been in dogfights all year.  It has been a grind.  Of the Reds 100 games 56 have been decided by two runs or fewer.  In its last 20 games the margin of defeat or victory was decided by three-runs or fewer 17 times and in one of those the Reds scored five runs in the 10th inning.

"It was just good to kick back and relax for the last three innings," Bailey said.  "It was nice not to have to fight until the end."