Reds Take Atlanta To Open Road Trip

The Reds dramatic, soggy win over the Washington Nationals gave the streaking Atlanta Braves first place.  A day later the Reds took it back with a 3-1 win.

Atlanta returned home after ending its road trip with a three-game sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds division rival.  The Reds moved to within a 1 1/2 games of the Cardinals, who dropped its fourth straight game to the Chicago Cubs, 6-4.

Homer Bailey had an impressive start, working 6 2/3 innings against the Braves.  He allowed one run. The former number one draft pick has five quality starts in eight tries.

Randall Delgado held the Reds off for three innings with Jay Bruce getting the first two hits.  The Reds wasted Bruce's leadoff double in the second inning but broke through in the fourth.

With two outs, Bruce singled to right.  Chris Heisey, who had three hits, followed with a single.  Bruce scored when Todd Frazier hit a 3-2 pitch on the ground to Tyler Pastornicky at short.  Dan Uggla failed to cover second and when Pastornicky tried to make the short play at second, the ball rolled toward first allowing Bruce to cross the plate.

Michael Bourn hit a one-out triple off Bailey in the fifth.  He scored on a short fly to Bruce by Martin Prado. Bruce threw home but to the firstbase side of home plate.  Devin Mesoraco couldn't come up with the ball.

Both starters left with the game tied.

Logan Ondrusek extended his season-long scoreless streak to 15 1/3 innings.  He inherited a base runner from Bailey and left him stranded.  The big righthander has inherited 16 base runners in 17 appearances and allowed just one to score.  Ondrusek picked up the win to run his record to 3-0.

The Reds solved Pikeville, Kentucky native Johnny Venters in the eighth.  Drew Stubbs topped a ball down the third base line and Venters had no chance to make the play.  Stubbs advanced to second on a wild pitch, becoming the third Reds runner to reach second with no outs.  He was the first to score when cleanup hitter Brandon Phillips raked a double high off the barrier in left center field.  Phillips grew up in the Atlanta area.

Heisey plated Phillips with his second double of the game.

Prado's second hit off Ondrusek.  Joey Votto threw Prado out at second on Jack Wilson's bunt.  Ondrusek walked Dan Uggla.

Dusty Baker called to Aroldis Chapman to get the last two outs.  Brian McCann flied to Stubbs but he walked soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, finishing his final season.

Chapman rallied with the bases loaded.  He got two quick strikes past Jason Heyward.  Then buzzed him up and in with a 101 mph heater.  Heyward waved weakly at Chapman's slider that followed.  Thus Chapman extended his season-long scoreless streak to 18 1/3 innings.  Chapman has stranded all seven of the base runners he's inherited and took over the team strikeout lead from Johnny Cueto with his 32nd strikeout.  Cueto has 31 in 48 1/3 innings.  Chapman has 32 in 18 1/3 frames.

Sean Marshall allowed a single then finished off the Braves by fanning Bourn and Prado to complete his sixth save in seven chances.