All-Star thirdbaseman Austin Riley drove in two runs with a double and his seconnd home run in as many days and 20th ho Strider handcuffed the Reds who frll to the Atlanta Braves 4-1 and dropped its 10th straight home game.
Riley's 20th home run of the season is the most by a National League third baseman and is third in the league.
The Reds' Tyler Mahle and the Braves Strider hooked up in a pircher's duel.
"It was a good pitching matchup," David Bell said. "Strider throws 100, 101 great breaking ball. I know our hitters expect more from themselves but Strider has special stuff. He's really good."
Mahle wasn't sharp but navigated five innings and tthe Reds tailed 2-1 when he left the bame after five innings.
"I wasn't making pitches the whole time," Mahle said. "It is good to come out of a game that wasn't good for you with limited damage. It was definitley a grind."
Austin Riley hit his 20th home run of the year off Mahle, leading off the second inning. He had a lapse in control and loaded the bases with no outs before luck helped deliver him from further damage. He gave up a single to Marcel Ozuna and a double by William Contreras right over third base. Brandon Drury got a glove on it but it trickeld into foul territory. Mahle hit former Reds player Adam Duvall on the hand to load the bases. A 3-2 pitch to Orlando Arcia missed the plate. Homeplate umpire Tripp Gibsom called it a ball but catcher Michael Papierski appealed to Laz Diaz the first base umpire. Both Contreras and Duvall trotted to the next base while the appeal was made. Shortstop Kyle Farmer waived at Mahle to throw to him but Contreras got back. Mahle threw to first to pick Duvall off. Mahle got out of the inning by striking out Arcia and Michael Harris.
"The check swing. I thought it was a dead ball. Fortunately, it wasn't. When that happened it flipped the odds in our favor," Mahle said.
Duvall left the game after the inning.
Wildness plagued Mahle again in the fourth. He walked Riley. Contreas doubled one out later. With two outs he walked the eighth and ninth hitters Arciaa and Harris to force home the Braves second run.
Strider was cruising. He walked Farmer in the second inning but retired 12 of 13 batters until he hit Farmer on the right hand. Farmer left the game and Reds' manager David Bell insisted that umpire Gibson enforce the warning given after Duvall was hit. Gibson ejected Bell as Farmer was removed from the game. as Matt Reynolds ran for him. Strider struck out Mike Moustakas and Albert Almora Jr. but threw a wild pitch in the process. Reynolds scored on the only hit Strider allowed a single by Nick Senzel.
Farmer had an X-ray on his wrist. There was no break.
"I've broken the bone in my wrist a couple of times. I know how it feels. I thought it was broken," Farmer said. "It depends how I feel tomorrow but it will probably just take a day or two. I know it wasn't intentional. He came up and in my first at bat. I was fortunate to get a bat on it. I know he wasn't trying to do it but when you throw, 100 miles an hour, it doesn't give you time to get out of the way. I was pretty pissed."
Bell's ejection had nothing to do with Strider's intent or the frustrations the Reds are having in falling a full 25 games under .500 a low water mark in the season.
"Strider was just trying to make pitches. I was pointing out a few pitches early in the game when the umpire gave the outside strike forced our hitters to dive out there. I know you're not supposed to argue balls and strikes that's the rule. I do think that you should get a little leeway," Bell said.
"There are plenty of things to be frustrated about, staff, players, myself," Bell said. "I know our players are doing everything in their power to turn things around. I'm looking long and hard at what I can to turn things around. But the argument with the umpire was completely separate."
Mahle pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits but the four walks put him behind.
Strider finished the sixth and allowed just one run and one hit and a walk. He tied his season and career high with 11 strikeouts.
The Braves added on in the seventh scoring two runs off Art Warren. Ronald Acuna Jr. walked with one out. Dansby Swanson hit his third single of the game.. Matt Olson's slow roller brought home Acuna, who reached third on Swanson's single. Reiver Sanmartin relieved Warren. Riley doubled to make it a 4-1 game before Sanmartin ended the inning.
A.J. Minter, Jesse Chavez and Will Smith, who picked up his fourth save, pitched a scoreless inning each to finish off the hapless home team.
Braves pitchers struck out 16 Reds.
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