Devin Mesoraco Grand in Reds Sweeping Win

Devin Mesoraco took the grand tour with a full compliment of his mates on the base paths.  His first major league grand slam erased a 2-1 deficit and made Homer Bailey the winning pitcher despite being lifted one batter later for a pinch hitter in the Reds 6-3 win over Atlanta.

The Reds swept the series and recorded its sixth consecutive win.  The last time the Reds swept the Braves in Cincinnati was the beginning of the 1980 season and it came in the first four games of that campaign in which the Reds started the season 8-0 (according to Mark Schmetzer who looked it up on retrosheet.com).

Bailey continued his run of good starts.  He finished with six innings, allowing two runs on four hits.  It was his third quality start in a row and evened his record to 3-3.  In nine starts he has turned in seven quality starts.  His ERA stands at 4.19.

"Quality starts don't mean anything to me," Bailey said.  "If I have a quality start and we lose, it's means nothing.  It is expected of us.  We expect it of ourselves."

Bailey was pitching scoreless baseball with two outs in the fifth when opposing pitcher, Randall Delgado singled.  Michael Bourn followed with his third home run of the series and fourth of the year to put the Braves on top 2-1.

Wednesday's hero, Todd Frazier, singled in his first at bat after the game winning home run.  He doubled to drive home Chris Heisey, who had two singles in the fourth.

Delgado started to fade in the Reds sixth.

Brandon Phillips walked to open the inning and advanced on a wild pitch. Jay Bruce lined to first. Heisey singled but Phillips was held at third by coach Mark Berry.  Frazier worked a walk forcing the Braves to go to the bullpen for Kris Medlen.  Medlen missed low with two pitches to Mesoraco.  The rookie catcher didn't miss the first strike he saw, hitting a towering drive to left to put the Reds up 5-2.

"He hit is straight.  He didn't hook it.  It was a good swing. That was how Hank (Aaron) used to hit them," Dusty Baker.

When Mesoraco was promoted to Louisville two years ago, he hit a walk off grand slam in his first game.  The next day in his first at bat, he hit another.

"I thought it was going to go foul to be honest with you.  That's why a stood at the plate a little longer," Mesoraco said.  "I was hoping it would stay fair."

Bruce and Joey Votto have been struggling a little but the young Reds have picked them up in this six game winning streak.

"Our young guys are coming through," Baker said.  "I'm giving out a lot of lineup cards for guys first. It's what you like it builds their confidence.  They worked hard to get here.  You fulfill a lifelong dream.  We hope they get better and better."

Sam LeCure, the forgotten man in the Reds bullpen, surrendered a solo home run to former mate, Juan Francisco, his second home run of the series.

Drew Stubbs hit one out against Johnny Venters leading off the seventh.  It was his second hit of the game, lifting his average to an even .250.

Sean Marshall pitched a scoreless inning.

Logan Ondrusek gave up two singles but earned his second save by getting Francisco to hit into a 3-6-1 double play.

"It was a big play.  They had a lot of big guys coming up.  If Ondrusek got into trouble, we would have had to go to an even younger guy, J.J. Hoover.  They had some guys coming up too.  Chipper Jones was on deck, they had Freddie Freeman and Brian McCann over there too," Baker said.

The Reds hit 10 home runs in this series.  The Braves hit six.  Thirteen of the home runs were solo shots.

"Home runs come in bunches.  Maybe the guys are getting their timing and their strokes back," Baker said. "I can't ever remember being on a team that beat the Braves four straight times.  It's tough to do against anybody and it came against a good team."